True Colors
by Sheherazade's Fable
Summary: XMFC AU. Part of a series, takes place after 'Words We Never Say.' In the wake of defeating Sinister Lorna is forced to face hard truths about the Brotherhood. As more information comes to light, Lorna has to choose between what she believes and her family. Canon pairings. Alex/Lorna.
1. Chapter 1

March 22, 1975

"Will all of you quiet down for a minute?" Alex demanded.

The team's chatter subsided. He knew that they were itching for a chance in the Danger Room. Several had tests in the morning, and the sooner they got the Danger Room session over and done with, the faster that they could go and study. He knew tht more than one of them depended on the night before a test to cram. He'd been there himself. As such they had been impatient the entire evening.

Alex sighed. Sometimes with the team he felt like he was trying to juggle jell-o.

"Now, you know that Hank's experimenting with a new fabric compound, and he's found a better one than the one we're currently using," Alex said, "So that means we're going to have to go through fittings again."

There was a universal groan.

"I know it's a pain in the ass," Alex said, "But we have to do it or we stand a better chance of getting killed. Got it?"

"How does he even have time to do this stuff anymore?" Ororo groaned.

"What, care about our safety?" Alex asked.

"That's not what I meant," Ororo said.

Alex rolled his eyes. Hank had sent them a few letters about his life. It sounded like he was becoming quite politically influential in certain circles. He was considering running for an office soon. Alex assumed he was aiming for the house.

His letters were full of other things too: Sharon was healthy and growing like a weed. The last picture Alex had seen of her portrayed a chubby child with curls of white hair growing around her face. Her eyes were still slitted, her mouth open in the permanent surprise that all babies seemed to have with the world. Her canines had grown in.

Between a political career, and a family, Alex wondered how he'd figured out a new material for the uniforms too. However, he wasn't going to get into that.

"Close enough," he said, "We'll do fittings tomorrow. And nobody try to pull that whole I-haven't-grown because you all have!"

There were a few more murmurings. Alex prepared to tell them all to shut up when Sean walked into the room, waving to Alex. He waved back before turning to the team.

"Now, get in the Danger Room," he said, "We're doing an urban landscape for this simulation: get to the end of the pathway in thirty minutes or less. And that means all of you. Failure for everyone to get there means we start over. So hustle!"

The team trooped into the Danger Room while Alex headed for the observation deck. Sean fell into step beside him.

"Somethin' up?" Alex said, "It's rare to see you up and around during the evening sessions."

Sean always preferred to tuck his daughter in at night, so Alex had taken all of the night shifts. A thought occurred to him.

"Terry get tired early?" he asked.

His friend shrugged.

"Yeah, she fell asleep on the sofa and I carried her to her room," Sean said, "I keep telling her that it'll happen if she watches all those variety shows at night."

"Kids, huh?" Alex said.

He jerked his head towards the Danger Room.

"Let's head up to the observation deck," he said, grinning, "They're on a pretty tough difficulty level today."

"You enjoy this entirely too much," Sean said, following him.

"Never heard that one before," Alex said.

"I'll stop saying it when it stops being true," Sean said.

They walked into the observation deck. Alex set it on the appropriate difficulty level before putting his hands in his pockets. He saw the room ripple into the setting before them, the different pieces of debris strewn about to make the terrain difficult as opposition forces charged in.

"While we're up here," Sean said, his voice hesitant, "I wanted to talk to you."

Alex clenched the hands in his pockets into fists.

"What about?" he asked.

Sean hesitated.

"Are you still sure you don't want to talk about it?" he asked, his voice low.

Alex gritted his teeth. There was only one thing that he could mean. He'd been waiting for Sean to talk to him about what had happened between him and Lorna six months ago with irritation. All he'd wanted was silence on the subject and space, not something that Sean was good at giving.

Hank would understand: he preferred silence. Sean was a different story. His awkwardness demanded that people talk about what they were feeling, except when it came to himself.

"I'm sure," Alex said.

Sean hesitated.

"Alex-" he said.

"I told you that I don't want to talk about it," Alex said, "In fact, I don't ever, ever want to talk about it."

"It's not going to get better that way," Sean said, "If you're over it, or something has changed, then you need to tell me. It'll be good for you, and it'll help me stop worrying, which means I'll stop being irritating."

Alex laughed.

"If you want to worry about something, how about you worry about the new Xavier?" Alex asked.

"I worry about that too," Sean said.

Alex did as well, although neither he nor Sean had said much to Charles and Moira on the subject. Moira was enraptured by the child, and Charles stood by her. Any negative and, Alex had to admit, probably unconstructive interjections, wouldn't be welcome.

It didn't mean that he didn't think about it. It was clear to anyone with eyes who the child's biological parents were. However, Kurt James Xavier had been officially adopted by Charles and Moira. Alex knew that, because of that, Kurt had gotten two loving parents and an older brother who was fascinated by his presence.

The only downside was that, when he got older, someone would have to tell him who his real parents were. Alex couldn't see that ending well.

"But right now I'm worried about you," Sean said.

Alex shook his head.

"Let me give you the basics," he said, "I don't feel any different about her, our situation hasn't changed, and it still hurts like hell. Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

He knew his words were harsh, something that was confirmed when Sean drew back. Alex wished he didn't have to be so snappish and cruel about it, but discussing his feelings for Lorna seemed wrong. Having those feelings were wrong period, but having people know made him feel ashamed. He was supposed to have more control.

At the same time, he couldn't regret what he felt for her. Alex still remembered her warmth as he held her close, the taste of her lips beneath his. He remembered her bravery, her determination not to be like her family. All he wanted was to see her again, to repeat an invitation that he knew she wouldn't take.

He supposed he was stupid that way.

"I'm your friend Alex," Sean said, "You need to remember that."

"And you need to remember that I don't like talking about this shit," Alex said, "Do we have an agreement?"

Sean gave him a wary look.

"You're going to want to talk about it one day," he said.

"I highly doubt that," Alex said.

"You mean that now," Sean said, nodding, "I have no doubt of it. Alex, you're a closed off person. But…one day it might do you some good to open up. It's worked in the past."

Alex looked down onto the floor where his brother got the team to move into formation to move through the hallways. They all looked up to him. He'd trained them to be tough, to look to their duty and protect others. He'd let them down by failing that. He could only imagine what Scott would think if he ever found out what he'd done.

"Not for this it won't," Alex said.

* * *

Lorna tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. She felt tired, and she hadn't had a chance to shower from her most recent session with her team. It felt like the sweat had formed a film over her scalp. She looked down at the codes and the letters and numbers seemed to dance in front of her eyes, making no sense.

In the past she had been able to crack codes in minutes. Now she had been pouring over he same missive for thirty minutes. The frustration was unimaginable.

"Everything alright?"

She looked up and saw Angel enter the room with two cans of coke. Lorna managed a weak smile.

"I'm alright," she said.

Angel smiled and sat down across from her. She slid the can over to Lorna. Lorna waved her hand and the lid popped. She summoned it into her hand and took a deep drink. It was icy cold and Lorna set it down, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Thanks," she said, "That really helped."

"I'm glad," Angel said, "You seemed stressed when I walked by."

Lorna shrugged.

"Occupational hazard," she said.

She looked down at the codes.

"I'm not going to have these done for at least another hour," Lorna said, "Sorry if that delays anything."

"Don't worry. They're not urgent," Angel said.

"Glad to hear it," Lorna said.

Angel opened her own can of coke and took a small sip.

"How's training going?" she asked.

"Better. Tabby seems less likely to freeze up now," Lorna said, "She still keeps that stupid codename though."

"Well, I can't comment. Angel isn't exactly the best name," Angel said, "Nor is it original, given that other people seem to have thought of it."

"You still have copyright," Lorna said.

"He actually has feathers though," Angel said, her voice a grumble.

Lorna laughed, thinking of Warren. Archangel was pretty similar to Angel's codename. She didn't dwell on him for too long though. If she did that she was going to start thinking about his other teammates soon. She couldn't allow that.

"You make it sound like it's terrible," Lorna said.

"Just staying," Angel shrugged.

There was a silence as Angel drank more coke. She looked uncomfortably at Lorna, and Lorna sighed. She'd hoped that Angel was just making conversation, she had done so enough throughout Lorna's life, but she also knew when she had a hidden agenda. She wasn't very subtle.

"What's up?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.

"You're here to talk to me about something," Lorna said, "What is it?"

Angel cleared her throat.

"It's about the training," she said.

"You mean the training that I'm giving my team?" Lorna said.

"Yeah," Angel said, "Some people were worried…"

"About what?" Lorna asked.

Angel put her can of coke down.

"Emma says you're training your team to help civilian humans evacuate," she said.

Lorna gulped down the rest of her coke.

"And that's wrong?" she asked.

"Humans Lorna," Angel said.

Lorna shook her head.

"There's nothing wrong with what I'm doing," she said.

"Not everyone is going to see it that way," Angel said, "You're diverting your team's energies to teach them how to protect humans. That's not our mission."

"Well, no," Lorna said, "I just don't see any reason why people who have nothing to do with our fight should get hurt."

"They're humans," Angel said, "They're involved."

Lorna narrowed her eyes.

"You know that's not always true," she said.

Angel took a deep breath.

"At one time no," Angel said, "But everyone who wasn't involved is gone now."

Lorna saw her coke can crunch in on itself. Angel blinked.

"I refuse to believe that," Lorna said.

Angel sighed.

"Again, they're humans Lorna," Angel said, "I know you've always been gentle with them, but you've kind of started to scare us with all the things you've been talking about lately."

"What, like rules of engagement?" Lorna said, raising her voice, "Rules about how we treat prisoners, who we take as prisoners? Setting up boundaries?"

Angel nodded.

"Yes, all of that," she said, "For the last time, they're humans. It doesn't matter."

"So I'm supposed to let humans who are caught in the crossfire die?" Lorna said.

"You're not supposed to care either way," Angel said.

Lorna gritted her teeth. She remembered her words to Alex months ago, the way she had felt so strong talking to him about how things would be different. Lorna remembered the way that her voice had echoed with confidence. She also remembered how he had pulled her closer and kissed her.

The memory of that kiss haunted her. Alex was like her in so many ways. It was probably the reason why she understood exactly what that kiss had meant. He had overcome his own feelings of loyalty to show her that they weren't enemies or friends. They were stuck in some sort of limbo, one that was entrenched with feelings they didn't dare examine.

Sometimes Lorna would replay the kiss in her head, remembering how he had proclaimed that he didn't care if what they had done was wrong. Lorna knew that, in that moment at least, he had meant it. She didn't know if he would when he saw her again, but despite the complications it would cause, Lorna hoped he would.

Besides that, the kiss had sealed something else, almost a stamp on what she had already decided, already knew about herself. She wasn't like her family. Lorna knew that there was a cause that she had elected to fight for, a cause that she had thought that she was already fighting for for years. Instead she had been fighting for a dream, something that was as insubstantial as smoke. Now that it had been blown away Lorna had been forced to see the ugliness that dwelt underneath.

Lorna wasn't about to let that ugliness stay. The Brotherhood needed to be told what they were doing was wrong. Lorna knew that it would be difficult to convince them, but she was going to give it her best shot. She had started her fight, and thus far she had been met with little success.

Angel was a perfect example of what she meant. Everyone had begun looking at her strangely, almost as though she were a time bomb, when she challenged their current procedures. Her family acted as though the things she was suggesting came from another planet.

The simple act of teaching people to care about harming humans was an uphill struggle. They were collateral to too many on her team. She remembered what Alex had said about collateral and Lorna felt ashamed of using the term. Although she hadn't seen it at the time, her mother had been collateral to someone.

The frustration clogged her throat, forcing her to remember more of what Alex had said. He believed that they wouldn't listen. Lorna knew them though, so it was like a smack in the face that he might be right. She wasn't about to give up though. Lorna got up, gathering her things. She glared at Angel, her face rigid.

"Well I care," Lorna said, "And you should too."

Without another word she turned on her heel and left.


	2. Chapter 2

March 24, 1975

"Mama, finished," David said.

Moira looked over from Kurt, who had fallen asleep in his playpen in the library. David was finishing up with a book, clutching it to his chest.

"Did you read it or look at the pictures?" Moira asked.

Normally Charles made sure that David actually read the book instead of pretending that he had. However, he was in a class at the moment. Moira looked at the clock. There were only a few minutes left until he came down. He always came down when he was finished with his classes. It was part of his efforts to spend more time with his family, one that had grown since Kurt had dropped into their lives.

"Read it," David said.

"What was it about?" Moira asked.

David frowned.

"Spot the dog," he said at last, "He ran. A lot. He got muddy and walked in Jane's house."

Moira ruffled his hair. He knew names. It was a good sign.

"That's right," she said.

The doorbell rang. Kurt woke up and looked around, his golden eyes searching. He started to whimper, although he didn't break out into a full-fledged cry. Moira couldn't understand it: David had always been free with his cries and demands for attention since the moment he'd been born. Kurt would only curl in on himself and whimper.

"Kurt's upset," David said, looking worried.

She walked over to his playpen and picked him up. He quieted and, after a few seconds, he just stared up at her blankly. He always quieted when she rocked him. Charles had told her that she seemed to be good with him, which wasn't something she had expected. Even babies must know the difference between someone familiar to them and strangers.

However, they'd hypothesized that Kurt was less than a day old when he'd been put on their doorstep. Moira wondered if Kurt thought that she was his actual mother. The thought filled her with warmth. She'd always wanted a fairly big family with at least two sons. Now it seemed that she was getting her wish.

She knew that Alex and Sean were still wary of Kurt, as were some of the more observant members of the X-men. She knew that they knew who his birth mother was. Moira hardly saw what that had to do with Kurt. It wasn't as though Mystique's vicious beliefs and violence were hereditary.

However, she knew that Charles was still a little uncertain when it came to Kurt. Moira had accepted him immediately as her second son. She wondered if Charles still saw him as his nephew. In a way he was, but Mystique had abandoned Kurt. Moira doubted that she was going to come back for him. Charles was going to have to see that, sooner or later, and she would show him as gently as she could.

David pulled on her pant leg, looking at Kurt with worried eyes. She smiled.

"He's fine David," Moira said.

David nodded and looked towards the door.

"Doorbell," he said.

"I haven't forgotten," Moira said.

She put Kurt back in his playpen. Moira headed towards the door. She saw David look after her once before turning towards the playpen. He sat down next to it, his book in his lap and peering through the pen bars at Kurt. She smiled. His early devotion to his brother was heartwarming. They'd only had Kurt a few months, and already she could tell that David was going to be a wonderful older brother.

Moira opened the door.

"John?" she asked.

Levine smiled at her, although the expression was a tired one. Moira smiled and gave him a one-armed hug. Levine returned it.

"It's good to see you again," Moira said.

"Nice to see you too," he said, "It's been awhile."

Moira nodded. She only saw Levine on occasion. Once she had ended her career with the CIA things had gotten complicated. Levine was the only friend who had stood by her as she had struggled to remember what had happened, her reputation in pieces. She had deliberately shattered her career with her choice of words at the conference, something she couldn't regret. It had protected a group of individuals she could barely remember, but it was something.

Seeing her career spin out of control had hurt though. When Moira had quit Levine had told her he would be there if she needed him. He hadn't agreed with the way that Cuba had been handled. However, she knew that it would look bad if the higher-ups realized that they were still in contact. She had left with a smirched reputation after all.

He communicated with them infrequently, but he was still a presence. He'd been one of the few people who had come to her wedding to Charles. Every now and then he told her information that, seeing as she was no longer part of the CIA, was classified. It had helped to have someone on the inside.

He'd been the one who had managed to get their students hidden from the draft. He had agreed that having mutants drafted into the armed service during Vietnam would only serve to complicate matters. Sean had also managed to get some of his contacts invovled, and as such they had been protected from a war which had rapidly slipped out of control.

Moira pulled away from the hug and gestured inside the Institute.

"Come in," she said.

Levine smiled and stepped into the hall. She led him into the library, where David got up. He dropped the book and ran towards them.

"Levy!" David said.

Levine smiled and dropped to his knees. He put out his hand and David high-fived him.

"How's my favorite little monster?" Levine asked.

David laughed. Moira saw Levine look up, his eyes resting on Kurt. He grinned as he got back to his feet.

"Got a nursery program now?" he asked.

Moira shook her head. She walked over to the pen and picked Kurt up. Kurt cooed and wrapped his tail around her arm.

"No, this is my new son," she said, "Kurt."

Levine paused, looking confused.

"I…didn't know that," he said.

Moira managed a smile. She knew that Levine knew that she couldn't have any more children.

"He's adopted," Moira said.

"Oh, right," Levine said.

Levine looked closer. Kurt had his hand in his mouth. David followed Levine's gaze and looked up proudly.

"Mine," he said.

"I'm sure," Levine said.

He forced a smile.

"Unfortunately, I'm here on business," he said.

"Right," Moira said.

"Your husband around?" Levine asked, taking a seat.

"His class should be ending soon," Moira said, "He's coming down here after that."

"I see," Levine said.

He put his briefcase on his lap and fiddled with the clasps. Moira sat down.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's alright," Levine said, "It's just a little complicated."

"How complicated?" Moira asked.

Levine smiled awkwardly.

"Your kind of complicated," he said.

"I thought so," Moira said.

The sound of wheels on the wood paneling made her look up. Charles wheeled into the room, surprise flickering across his face when he saw Levine.

"John?" he asked.

"One and only," Levine said.

He rubbed his temples.

"Sorry to barge in on all of you like this, but we were conducting an investigation in New York City, and something came up," he said.

Charles frowned. Moira held Kurt a little closer. David clambered up on the couch beside her, not understanding what was going on. He waved cheerfully to his father and Charles smiled before turning to Levine.

"What happened?" Charles asked.

"Nothing to be concerned about I suppose," Levine said, "I was just wondering if you could help."

"Well, what's the situation?" Charles asked.

Levine opened his briefcase.

"There've been a series of robberies of prominent houses in New York City," he said, "A lot of the targets were politicians, so we thought that there was a possibility the Russians were involved."

"Really? The Russians?" Moira said.

"That or spies," Levine said.

"How much do these politicians that were robbed donate to the party?" Moira asked.

Levine shrugged.

"I don't decide these briefs, I just investigate them," he said, "But we found out that it was just a street gang. We managed to apprehend several of them, but a few did get away."

"And what do you want us to do about this?" Charles asked.

"Nothing," Levine said.

He paused and shook his head.

"Well, not nothing," he said, "One of the gang members that our people took in was a mutant. He's about seventeen. Coming up on eighteen."

Moira shared a look with Charles.

"You want us to take him in?" Moira asked.

"If you could," Levine said, his voice rushed, "I just…I'm just not sure if a juvenile detention center is the best. Because of the scope of the robberies if he were tried, then he'd be tried as an adult."

"What?" Charles asked.

"He's got a bit of a record apparently," Levine said.

He shuffled a few papers.

"As well as a bit of a reputation," he said.

"A reputation," Charles repeated.

"He's talked people into letting him out of holding cells before," Levine said, "The police are getting suspicious, and they want him tried as an adult pretty bad. And..."

His voice became bitter.

"Stryker Jr. got involved," he said.

Moira winced. They were familiar with Stryker's son, a man who had earned the same rank as his father in Veitnam and shared his father's beliefs about mutants. He'd caused them a few problems in the past. She had wondered when he as going to cause them some more.

"If we don't find an alternative solution, he's looking at getting ten to fifteen years," Levine said.

Moira gaped.

"That's a touch extreme, don't you think?" she asked.

"I do, and that's why I'm here," Levine said.

He shifted his papers around again.

"If I can get him accepted here, then it's likely that I can fudge his sentence, get them to forget about it," Levine said, "He'd be in a 'Correctional Institute,' and you'd have to submit monthly reports for at least a year. Nothing else."

Charles folded his hands in his lap.

"You're going through an awful lot of trouble for this young man," he said.

Levine hesitated.

"To be honest…I wasn't going to at first," Levine said, "I was talking to him because I'm technically still in charge of the investigation. He was abrasive, angry, and cocky. To be honest, by the end I was thinking that he might end up with fifteen years no matter what. It seemed extreme, but I wasn't going to pursue the matter."

He hesitated again.

"And?" Moira prompted.

Levine sighed.

"But…as I was leaving he looked down at the table," Levine said, "He just seemed so lost. When he thought no one was watching he let himself be scared. And I thought that maybe there was something I could do."

He gave a helpless smile.

"I don't get a chance to help people very often in this job," he said, "But I dislike throwing away my chances."

Moira nodded. She'd felt that same frustration many times when she'd worked for the CIA. She'd had her chance to change things when Charles had come along, and she'd taken it.

_What do you think love? _Charles thought.

_I think we can take him in_, Moira thought, _We can at least try. _

_ My thoughts exactly_, Charles thought.

Charles smiled at Levine.

"I believe we can arrange a visit there," he said, "What's the boy's name?"

Levine took a sheaf of papers out of his briefcase, including a photo. He put them both on the coffee table and edged them towards them. Moira saw mugshots of a teen with a nose that had once been broken and sloppy blonde hair. A slight beard was growing in as well, and Moira wondered if anyone had taught him to shave.

"His name's Calvin Rankin," Levine said.


	3. Chapter 3

March 24, 1975

Angel took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

She swallowed.

"Angel," she said.

"Come in."

Angel walked inside to what she thought of as Magneto's 'office.' She supposed that it met the criteria for an office: it was where he kept most of his files and called them when he needed to brief them or discuss something. Angel had long suspected that his most important files were somewhere else though, probably encased in a solid metal safe.

He looked at a board that showed a map with pins stuck in it. Magneto didn't turn around when she walked in, just levitated several more metal pins onto the board.

"Something you wanted to talk to me about Angel?" he asked.

His tone was dismissive. She didn't blame him. Angel knew that she wasn't one of the top analysts or fighters. Her opinion was welcomed, but she knew that he didn't take too much stock in it. There was only one topic where her opinion was paramount, which was why she was there.

"I'm worried about Lorna," she said.

Magneto stopped putting the pins in place. He turned his back on the board and Angel put her hands behind her back. His gaze was intense. Angel hadn't expected any less.

"Why?" he asked.

She shuffled her feet.

"She's been acting…odd lately," Angel said.

"Describe odd," he said.

Angel squirmed. She felt like she was betraying Lorna, but she wasn't going over her head. She had already tried to talk to her. It was Angel's loyalty versus her concerns and what she felt. It wasn't the first time that she had been in that situation, and she bitterly regretted it. She hadn't thought she would be tested so many times when she had signed up for the Brotherhood.

"It's what she's teaching her team," Angel said, "She's sort of, I'm not sure how to say this, but she's sort of-"

"Out with it," Magneto snapped.

Angel winced. Magneto rubbed his temples.

"Could you please just tell me?" he asked.

Angel took a deep breath. As one of the original members of the Brotherhood, and Lorna's first babysitter, Angel had several privileges when it came to talking to Magneto. One of them was having him almost apologize to her when he lost his temper for no reason. She had never counted on it though.

The only time she ever dared to express her opinion frankly and without fear was when it came to Lorna. Azazel had been the one that Magneto had depended on to protect his daughter. He had depended on Angel to make sure that she went to bed on time, did her work and brushed her teeth. She had never hesitated to tell Magneto how she felt when it came to Lorna.

However, her feelings were conflicted on this particular issue.

"The way that she's training her team is more like what I imagine the X-men would do," Angel said, her words a rush.

Magneto sighed and sank into a chair. He gestured to another one and Angel followed suite.

"Have you pointed this out to her?" Magneto asked.

"I have," Angel said, "She got angry."

"Well, if you accused her of acting like the X-men then I can imagine her being angry," Magneto said.

"I didn't use that phrase," Angel said, irritated, "You think I'd say that to her?"

Magneto shook his head.

"No, no," he said, "I don't suppose you would."

Angel nodded.

"I told her that I was worried, that we were all a little worried," Angel said, "Emma approached me with her concerns the other day."

"Emma came to you?" Magneto asked.

Angel nodded. She knew it meant something for a member of the Brotherhood to come to her instead of Magneto. She was the recognized medium concernig Lorna and her father. Azazel had been a medium once too, and Angel had enjoyed having someone help her.

It was just another reason she missed him.

"You're taking Emma's word for it?" Magneto snapped.

Angel drew herself up.

"Say what you like, but Emma's fond of Lorna," Angel said.

Magneto raised an eyebrow.

"In her own way," Angel added.

"In her own way," Magneto said.

Angel crossed her arms.

"Maybe not always," Angel said, "But in the past few years, she's cared quite a bit."

Magneto made a gesture with his hand.

"It doesn't matter," he said, "I thought you knew better than to take her word for it."

"I didn't," Angel said, "I watched a training session for myself after she talked to me. Discreetly of course."

He nodded. It wasn't the first time that Angel had discreetly observed Lorna when she was worried about her. Angel knew that Lorna was an adult and wanted to solve her own problems. At the same time, Angel knew that she was like her father. She was unwilling to ask for help if she felt that it compromised her.

She'd refused to acknowledge that there was any problem when Mystique had unleashed her venom over Azazel's death. Angel had seen Mystique heading for the training room when she knew that Lorna was in there with her team. Angel had lingered by the door, watching to see how Lorna would handle it, to see if she needed help.

When Mystique tried to strike her, Angel's heart had leapt into her throat. Lorna had caught it, just like she knew she would. She had been taught well. However, Angel had known that Mystique was only going to get more erratic. She'd gone directly from that room to see Magneto. Mystique had glared at her for weeks afterwards. She was probably still angry at her.

It did make her feel guilty. Once again, Angel had Mystique scream at her about how she was supposed to be her friend, not Lorna's. Angel knew there was a grain of truth in it: she had chosen Lorna over Mystique. Again. She had never been able to get Mystique to understand why that had to be.

Lorna had come into the Brotherhood as a child who should have had everything. She'd had a mother who loved her and didn't care if she was a mutant or not. Her father loved her. If circumstances had been just a little different then she would have had a perfect life with both of her parents supporting and caring for her.

She wouldn't have had a mother who couldn't stand the sight of her, or a father who had skipped out when she was six. Lorna wouldn't have to run away to avoid the abuse and neglect of her mother when she was fifteen. She would never have had to shamefully pretend like there was nothing different about her as she danced in strip clubs.

Lorna'd had a chance. Instead of being able to use that chance, it had been stolen from her. Shaw had tortured her father and left him with a deep-rooted anger. Angel hadn't known that Shaw was that much of a monster. Angel wondered if she would have left with him if she'd known that. The nuclear attacks he was planning had scared her, but Angel had thought that it was better than being on the losing side.

That anger had never left Magneto, meaning that he hadn't been able to stay with Susanna long enough to find out that she was pregnant. Susanna had been left alone to raise Lorna. She hadn't cared though, had loved her child anyway. Angel wished that she'd had a mother who was like that. She was glad that Lorna'd had one like that though.

Lorna had been a child who was supposed to have it all. Instead she'd had more terror than any child should have had, made all the worse because she'd been so happy before. How could Mystique not see that that needed to be protected? She needed support, to be told that everything was alright. Mystique was selfish, of course she was, but Angel had hoped that, in time, she would see why Lorna needed them.

She never had.

"And what did you find when you saw her training session?" Magneto asked.

She sighed.

"What Emma described," Angel said.

Magneto rested his chin on his hand.

"What did you say when you told her you were worried?" he asked.

"Well, specifically I told her that she shouldn't be so concerned with what happened to human bystanders," Angel said.

"She's soft-hearted," Magneto said.

"Soft-hearted is one thing, but she's taught her team to treat human bystanders the same as mutant ones," Angel said, "She's treating them to see them as equal."

Magneto froze.

"You can't be serious," he said.

"Unfortunately, I am," Angel said.

Magneto looked down and closed his eyes. Angel bit her lip. Lorna's behavior was becoming, at best, erratic towards their beliefs. She also knew that what she was telling Magneto was hurting him. However, if anyone had a chance to figure out what was going on with Lorna, to help her, then it was her father. Angel had already failed, and Lorna needed someone to set her on the right path.

"What did she say exactly when you told her?" Magneto asked.

Angel bit her lip harder. She'd been hoping to avoid repeating this.

"I told her that she shouldn't care about what happened to them," Angel said, "And she said that she did, and that I should too."

Magneto drummed his fingers against his chair.

"I never dreamed she'd react to leadership in this way," Magneto said.

"Pardon?" Angel said.

He managed a small shrug.

"She's been in a position where she had people under her command. One of them was captured, almost killed," Magneto said, "It's made her more conscious of her responsibility. While I'm happy she's taking her role seriously, she's extending this newfound responsibility to the crowds more than she should. I believe she thinks that she can and should control every variable in the equation."

Angel felt hope rise in her.

"That's all you think this is?" she asked.

"I believe so," Magneto said, "Although I do wish that, in the past year or so, she would have had less exposure to the X-men."

"We all wish that," Angel said, "It hasn't really been a good year for avoiding them."

"Agreed," Magneto said.

He sank back in his chair.

"I'll have a talk with her," he said.

"Thank you," Angel said, "If it's a leadership issue, then I wouldn't know. I've always been more of a follower."

"And you've been very loyal," he said, "The one time you didn't do exactly as you were told, well, I can't fault you for that."

Angel managed a small smile. She thought back to the night in Connecticut with the flames springing around her. More than once she'd wondered what would have happened if she hadn't run into the building. She'd also wondered what would have happened if she hadn't been alert when she'd been inside.

It was best not to think about it.

"Thank you for coming to me with this," Magneto said.

"It's what's best," Angel said.

Magneto smiled and got to his feet. Angel rose too. She saw him walk to the cork board. He waved his hand and a few more pins went into place.

"Can I ask what you're doing?" Angel asked.

"Of course. There have been reports of a mutant I'm interested in recruiting in New York City," he said, "I was going to send some people to inform him of his options."

Angel nodded.

"We could always use more people," Angel said.

"I was going to send Emma and Janos," he said, "Once he gets here, I'd like him to meet with Lorna."

Angel hesitated.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Magneto paused.

"He would be on her team of recruits when he joins," Magneto said.

"But…Lorna…we've just…" Angel said.

She knew her voice sounded weak.

"I'll talk to her before he comes," Magneto said, "She may be a little uncertain when it comes to her team, but that comes with being a new leader. She did well enough when a crisis arose. All I need to do is remind her of that, and I think that seeing someone else she'll be responsible for will solidify her will."

It did make sense when he put it that way.

"You know best," Angel said.

Magneto laughed, although it sounded sad.

"Sometimes we need to throw people into the deepest waters to see if they'll swim," Magneto said, "I know you don't agree: you've always used a gentle touch when it's come to Lorna."

"And you haven't?" Angel said.

Magneto paused.

"There have been some things that I haven't told her," he said, "But we both know that she isn't ready for that sort of thing. Not yet."

"I know," Angel said, "Like I said, you know best."

She shrugged.

"You're her father after all."


	4. Chapter 4

March 25, 1975

Alex leaned against the wall. Charles was next to him, his hands in his lap. The station around him seemed empty, but he knew that Levine had gone in the back. He had to check something before he could let them see what Alex knew could be the latest recruit for the Institute.

"Any idea what's taking Levine so long?" Alex asked.

"This isn't a normal recruitment mission," Charles said, "There's bureaucracy to go through, especially since the CIA was involved with the investigation. It's difficult enough to get past normal legal channels. It wasn't easy to recruit you, and back then we had the CIA on our side."

"I can't imagine that it was," Alex said.

Charles nodded. He glanced around the station before leaning back.

"There is actually something I wanted to talk to you about," he said.

Alex felt his heart skip a beat, thinking of Lorna. He squashed the notion immediately. Sean wouldn't have told him. For all his insistence that Alex talk about it, nothing serious had happened to make Sean run to Charles. Sean was still a good friend.

Charles couldn't have read his mind either. He wasn't invasive enough to find it out. Whatever it was, it wasn't about Lorna. He didn't have to worry. He hadn't done anything else that was serious enough to warrant worry.

"And you couldn't tell me in the car?" he asked.

"Well, we were going over what we wanted to tell young Calvin," Charles said.

"You know you sound about a million years old when you stick the world 'young' in front of someone's name?" Alex said.

"I was born old," Charles said.

Alex rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he said, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Charles sighed.

"It's about Annie," he said.

"Oh God," Alex moaned.

It seemed like Annie was doomed to be a subject that both Charles and Moira felt that they needed to bring up.

"No, no, hear me out," Charles said, "It's not what you think."

"I haven't done anything!" Alex hissed, "I don't even like her."

"I know you haven't and I know you don't," Charles said, "But don't you think that you should have a talk with her about that?"

"Meaning?" Alex said, "I've made it very clear that I'm not interested. I've made it about as clear as I can without being cruel. I don't understand how she can have a degree in meta-human physiology but she can't take a hint."

He knew that his voice was harsher than it needed to be. Charles glanced at him.

"It might be the fact that you're still single," he suggested, "Perhaps she thinks she can wear you down."

"She can't," Alex said.

"Do you have something against her?" Charles asked.

His voice wasn't nagging, merely curious. Alex crossed his arms closer to his chest. He did have something against Annie, although he didn't see how it was her fault. Her flirting irritated him, but what really got him was that she wasn't Lorna. She couldn't wear him down on that.

He couldn't tell Charles that though.

"No, we just wouldn't work, and her persistence is irritating," Alex said.

"I understand," Charles said, "All the more reason you should probably just out and say that you're not interested. I'm afraid that it appears that she doesn't take the hints well, and the rest of the students seem to be noticing. It sets a poor example. I would talk to her myself, but I think she might prefer to avoid the embarrassment of having her boss deliver a scolding on the issue."

"Agreed," Alex said, knowing how reluctant his voice was, "I'll talk to her."

Levine came out from the back. He gestured towards them. Alex detached himself from the wall and began pushing Charles towards a hallway.

"All settled?" Charles asked.

"If he agrees, then yes, it is," Levine said.

He rubbed his temples.

"I just wish that there hadn't been quite so much paperwork," he said, "I guess it's one of the prices you pay."

"Indeed," Charles said.

They passed an empty canteen. Charles flexed his fingers.

"It seems rather empty in here," he said.

Levine winced as they continued walking through the station.

"Word came down that he talked his way out of the last cell he was in," he said, "They figured it would be better if there were less people. It would be easier to avoid mutant rights issues."

"Talked his way out of it?" Alex asked.

He pushed Charles around a corner in the station.

"What did you say that his mutation was again?" Alex asked.

"I'm not sure exactly," Levine said.

Alex raised his eyebrows and glanced at Charles.

"How do you know he's a mutant then?" Alex asked.

"We have photo of him punching his way through a wall," Levine said.

"That would do it," Alex said.

He glanced at Charles again. They came upon a door to the small cell that adjoined the main station. Levine walked up to it, fumbling with the keys.

"But why is he still in a cell then?" Alex said, "It seems to me that he can get out whenever he wants."

"It does seem that way," Levine said.

"Then, again, why is he still in the cell?" Alex asked.

Levine paused.

"I don't know," Levine said, his voice quiet, "It's one of the reasons that I think you can help him."

The door swung open. Levine gestured into the hall.

"I'll stay away," he said, "Just, uh, call when you're ready. You know."

He tapped his head. Charles nodded. Alex knew that Levine was one of the few humans that Charles would telepathically contact on anything approachign a regular basis.

"I understand," he said.

Levine managed a small smile and headed down the hall. Charles looked up at Alex.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked.

"I've done this before," Alex said.

"Yes, I suppose you have," Charles said.

He nodded and Charles pushed him into the room. Only one cell was occupied. Calvin was on the bed, his back towards them. He didn't look around when they came in.

"Calvin?" Charles said.

Calvin still didn't turn around.

"Do you know who I am?" Charles asked.

Calvin shrugged.

"They told me I was having visitors," he said, "Didn't say who."

Charles folded his hands. Alex knew that he was more than used to the standoffish attitude.

"My name is Charles Xavier," he said, "I run a school for children similar to yourself."

"I highly doubt that," Calvin said.

_You might want to reconsider that_, Charles thought.

Alex expected Calvin to turn around and gasp, his eyes wide and full of fascination or fear. Most did. Instead Calvin just shrugged.

"You're not the first mutant I've met," he said, "Not the first telepath either."

"Really?" Charles said, "Did you have siblings?"

"No," Calvin said.

Charles waited, but Calvin didn't elaborate.

"Regardless, my school teaches mutants such as yourself how to use their gifts-" he said.

Calvin turned around, his face contorted into a grimace.

"Gifts?" he snapped.

Charles nodded, unperturbed.

"Gifts," he said.

Calvin snorted and turned away from them.

"No matter what you think of your mutation, it is a gift," Charles said.

"My mutation," Calvin repeated.

He shook his head.

_Just what do you think my mutation is?_

The thought came through faint, but it was still clear. Alex looked over at Charles, but Charles kept his eyes glued to Calvin.

"Why don't you tell me?" Charles asked, "Because you're not a telepath."

Calvin turned around again.

"You can tell?" he asked.

"It's too faint and off-kilter, even for a beginning telepath," Charles said, "It feels a little like someone who's only had a few lessons with the piano trying to play Beethoven."

Calvin stared for a moment.

"Fancy metaphor," he said.

"Perhaps, but it's accurate," Charles said, "Now, what can you do?"

Calvin hesitated.

"I…if I hang out around someone with a mutation, see it done for a while, then I can kind of imitate it," Calvin said.

"I see," Charles said.

Alex wished Charles would explain, because he sure as hell didn't understand. He hadn't heard of a mutation that imitated other mutations.

"How much control do you have over it?" Charles asked.

"Not much," Calvin admitted, "Some are harder to do than others. It took me ages to figure out telepathy, and I still don't really have it."

"Hm," Charles said.

Calvin got up and stood in front of the bars.

"Why are you here?" he asked, "Didn't you say you were some sort of teacher?"

"That's correct," Charles said.

"And, I'm getting that your school isn't a correctional institute," Calvin said.

"Also correct."

"So why the hell are you wasting time on me?" Calvin asked.

Charles smiled.

"I don't consider it a waste to offer someone a second chance," Charles said, "I believe you have the potential to be something other than what you are."

"What if I like what I am?" Calvin snapped.

"I highly doubt you would still be in your cell if you did. We know that you can get out if you wanted," Charles said, "Instead you've chosen to pay for what you've done. But you can make up for what you've done in other ways than going to jail."

Calvin turned away. There was a long silence, broken only by a knock on the door. Levine poked his head in.

"Charles, I need you to sign something. Some security measure," he said, "I didn't want to interrupt, but they're insisting."

"Of course," Charles said.

He turned to Calvin.

"I'll be back," he said, "Just think about it."

Charles wheeled out of the room with Levine. Alex stuck his hands in his pockets.

"You one of his students?"

Alex started, but quickly recovered. Calvin had pretty much ignored him when he came in after all.

"I graduated. I teach now," he said.

"Is he for real?" Calvin asked.

Alex managed a smile. It had seemed unbelievable when he'd first been recruited too.

"He is. He takes everyone in, teaches them about their mutations, second chances and all that," Alex said, "Orphans, runaways, kids with normal lives, kids from abusive homes…"

He dug his hands deeper into his pockets.

"…criminals like us."

Calvin looked up, his expression desperate. Alex understood. He'd been there once.

"I was a little skeptical when he first gave me his offer, but I haven't regretted it," Alex said, "It's changed my life."

Calvin bit his lip and stared at the wall.

"So, things can change?" he asked.

"Yes," Alex said, "Yes they can."

Calvin turned back, his teeth still chewing his lip. He opened his mouth, but whatever he had to say was cut off when the wall at the far end of the hall was blown over, sending bricks and mortar everywhere. Alex dropped to the floor, and he saw Calvin do the same. In the very least, the kid had good instincts.

He looked up and saw Riptide and Emma standing in the gap. He growled to himself. The Brotherhood always did love their big entrances.


	5. Chapter 5

March 25, 1975

Alex got up and immediately shot a bolt of light at them. Riptide and Emma both moved out of the way. The bolt hit the wall, causing pieces of plaster to fly. He saw Calvin push himself further backwards, keeping low and remaining with his head covered. Alex had to smile. He had good instincts. It was something that his life had taught him, just like it had taught Alex.

Still, he was in the middle of a battleground with bars between him and an exit. He supposed that Calvin was too shocked to use his mutation. After all, a few minutes ago they'd been having a rather civil conversation. Now it looked like the building could be falling down around them.

Alex put himself between Calvin and the Brotherhood members. He might not be one of his students yet, but it didn't matter. Alex gathered up more light.

"Charles!" Alex yelled, "We've got problems!"

He shot off a blast, this one nicking the wall above Riptide. Some of the plaster fell down on him and knocked him to the ground, but he got up. The winds picked up and Alex swore. If he wanted to stay between Calvin and the Brotherhood, then he didn't have a lot of room for maneuvering.

As the winds picked up Alex saw Calvin scramble to the back of his cell.

"Who the hell are they?" he asked.

"Trouble," Alex said.

"Now that's rude," Emma said.

"Not as rude as I can be," Alex said.

He gave Calvin another look. An idea formed in his head. It wasn't as though he hadn't done it before.

"Get back!" he yelled.

"You don't need to tell me that!" Calvin said.

"No, really!" Alex shouted.

Looking puzzled Calvin moved even further to the back of his cell. Alex shot another blast at Emma and Riptide before turning a second blast on the lock. He leapt aside as the lock was blasted into the air, hitting the ceiling. He rolled to avoid the resulting debris and then got to his feet. To his satisfaction he saw that at least some of the debris had hit Emma and Riptide.

When the smoke had cleared he saw Calvin staring at him.

"Huh," he said.

"Yeah, I know," Alex said, "Come on, we have to get out of here," he said.

Calvin got to his feet and moved to the outside of the cell. The wind immediately blew him back to the wall. Alex shot several more beams out at both of them. As he did he glanced out of the opening, wondering if any others were coming. He wouldn't put it past the Brotherhood to have brought back-up who were holding back in case things got tough. He'd seen it in the past.

Alex was aware of his shortcomings at the moment. He was in a bad position fighting both Emma and Riptide, even if Emma was hesitant to go into his mind because of Charles's protection. Calvin seemed to be in a state of shock. Alex wondered if he'd fought mutants in the past. The answer was probably no, which meant that it was just him. If there were any more coming then he was in big trouble.

Vaguely he wondered if Lorna would be coming. A slight prickle of excitement rippled through his mind. Immediately he hated himself for the feeling, for multiple reasons. Having her be there would mean he would have to fight her. Alex had secretly put himself through Danger Room sessions fighting a simulated Brotherhood to help him. He knew he'd be able to, even if he didn't want to. It wasn't as though either of them were in any position to pull their punches on each other. They had teams to protect.

On the other hand, he would see her again, and he hadn't seen hide nor hair of her for six months. He'd wondered if she'd gone back to doing more stake-outs, or perhaps she had just been taking it easy with her team. It made him angry that he was thinking about her when he should be concentrating on defending himself and Calvin.

Emma turned to diamond and lunged for him. He sidestepped her punch. Her momentum carried her towards the wall, her fist chipping the metal plaster

"That's…cool," Calvin said.

Alex saw Emma smile at Calvin.

"Why thank you," she said.

Alex blasted her. The impact sent her sprawling. She looked over her shoulder at Alex and glared.

"I was talking," she said.

"When was the last time I cared about what you said?" Alex snapped.

Emma got up, brushing her white jumpsuit off. Riptide walked next to Emma, a tornado forming in his hand.

"We're just here to talk to Calvin here," Emma said, "Surely someone who believes so strongly in free will would allow a conversation to be had."

"Shut up," Alex snapped.

"Why shouldn't I get a chance to talk?" Emma said.

"Because you're a supremacist and stupid as hell," Alex said.

"Fine words coming from you-" Emma said.

"Excuse me?"

Alex turned and felt his heart sink. Calvin had moved forwards and was looking at Emma and Riptide with curiosity.

"I'm still here you know," Calvin said, "And I can speak for myself."

Emma flashed a triumphant look at Alex.

"I know you can," she said.

Alex wished that Charles was there. He'd never had something like this happen on a recruitment trip. They'd had to fight for Jean, but she had already decided to come with them. Calvin appeared to still be on the fence. Alex looked over his shoulder down the hall. How far had he gone with Levine?

"Riptide, please go hold off the guards," Emma said.

Riptide nodded and moved to the gap in the wall. Alex stepped forward to stop him, but Emma shook her head.

"No, I think you should be here for this," Emma said, "After all, it looks like Calvin wants to listen to us."

Alex looked between Emma and Calvin, his fists clenching. He wouldn't be able to get past her. Not without leaving a minor in danger.

"So why are you here?" Calvin asked.

"To offer you a future," she said.

"Not the type you want, trust me," Alex said.

"Did I interrupt your sales pitch?" Emma asked, her tone polite.

"You did actually," Alex said.

"I'm still here," Calvin said.

He squinted at Emma.

"You don't look like a teacher," he said.

Emma laughed.

"Oh, we're not a school. Alex and his geek friends are, but not us," she said, "I don't think that there's much that our kind needs to be taught."

Calvin blinked.

"I don't understand," he said.

Emma's smile broadened.

"Calvin, you possess an amazing gift," he said, "I think that you need to start putting it to use fighting for your kind."

"Fighting?" Calvin said.

"Against humans," Emma said.

Calvin continued to stare. Alex looked down the hall again. Hadn't Charles heard the explosion? He must have.

"Right now humans are threatening our kind all over the world. We're different. It's not a bad thing, but we are different," Emma said, "It's going to cause problems: persecution, capture, it's a difficult world we live in. You just need to look at the pages of history to know that."

"Go on," Calvin said.

Alex swore inside of his head. He must have overestimated Calvin's desire for a second chance.

"If we don't bring the fight to them then we don't stand much of a chance," she said, "We have to move fast."

Calvin crossed his arms.

"So, you're fighting a war?" he said.

"As should we all," Emma said.

"Against humans," Calvin said.

"Correct," Emma said.

Calvin paused.

"They're…what did they do?" he asked.

His uncertainty made Emma pause.

"Some have captured and experimented mutants," Emma said.

Calvin blinked. It was clear he was shocked. Alex wasn't going to let Emma get away with her lies though.

"Two out of three were mutants themselves. One was a Nazi," Alex said, "As for the human, he's a crazy asshole who got shut down by the government."

Emma glared at him.

"Shut down before it was hushed up. It's preventative," Emma said, "If we don't fight them now, then we lose the advantage."

Alex saw Calvin pull away.

"You're out of your damn mind," he said.

Alex smiled as Emma frowned.

"Pardon?" Emma asked.

"If it's completely preventative, then they haven't done anything!" Calvin said, "Well, besides that one case. That means you're just attacking people."

He gestured to the jail cell.

"Do you think that this is the kind of life that I want?" he asked, "All this violence and shit? Do you think I want to be a part of that?"

He slammed his fist against the wall. Alex stared at him as Riptide came back into the room. Alex heard noises from the hall, although he didn't look behind him.

"You think I have potential as some sort of soldier? Why? Because I robbed some people, put some other people in the hospital?" Calvin asked, "Do you think that I'm proud of that? You think I don't want a second chance?"

Emma clenched her jaw and Calvin nodded towards Alex.

"I'll take my chances with the geeks," he said.

Emma tilted her head, her hands fists.

"Emma, stand down."

Charles wheeled himself next to Alex. Emma's eyes hardened as Charles looked at Calvin.

"So you've decided to come?" he asked.

"The alternatives are prison or these weirdos," Calvin said, "Yeah, I'm coming."

Charles nodded and turned back to Emma.

"Leave," he said.

Emma relaxed and cocked her head.

"Riptide," she said.

Riptide pulled his hand back. Alex shoved Calvin out of the way as a tornado whipped its way through the room. Alex moved back for Charles, but the winds had already knocked him over. He moved towards him, but he felt himself getting pressed up against the wall. Alex looked over his shoulder at Calvin.

"Get the hell out of here!" he said.

"But-" Calvin said.

"Just move!" Alex yelled.

Calvin got to his feet just as the wind picked up again. Alex was slammed into several walls. He felt something slash into his arm. He managed to steady himself, but he was sick and disoriented. Something had gone wrong with his inner ears. It appeared that Sean wasn't the only one who could disorient people.

Fighting nausea Alex let out several blasts. He saw Calvin move, only to be stopped by Emma. Calvin clutched his head and dropped to the floor. Alex sent a blast at her and she was sent back. He hurried to Calvin's side, but he was already out. Using his uninjured arm Alex tried to get Calvin to his feet.

A second later Alex felt a hand smash into his shoulder. Alex gritted his teeth as he was lifted into the air. He glared at Emma's diamond eyes before gathering light into his chest. He blasted her away and hit the wall. Alex managed to stumble to his feet before Riptide slammed his head into the wall, and the world went black.


	6. Chapter 6

March 26, 1975

"Damn it!"

"Alex, stop swearing," Annie said.

Alex glared at her and gritted his teeth. She plucked another piece of bits of the metal cell bars out of his shoulder. The morphine didn't seem to be working, or at least not fast enough. He'd managed to keep the area sterile until they made it back to Westchester. Now it was just a matter of taking the metal pieces out.

Next to him Charles rubbed the bandage around his head, Moira sitting next to him. Sean and Scott stood inside the med bay too, Scott worried and Sean frustrated.

"Did Levine say how the cover-up was going?" Sean asked.

"He didn't really go into details," Moira said, "He said he'd take care of it though."

"Good, I already owe too many favors," Sean said.

He shoved his hand into his pockets.

"We need to go after them," Sean said.

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Alex said, "But right now, we don't even know where we're heading."

"Nobody saw anything in the area?" Scott asked.

"I did a quick check," Sean said, "And no, no one saw anything. You guys were there kind of late."

"So that's out," Scott said.

"Cerebro out too?" Sean asked.

"Erik has taken to cloaking his locations," Charles said, "I believe that, if they have taken him to one of their facilities, which is likely, than yes, Cerebro would be useless."

"What if you really concentrated?" Sean asked.

Moira shook her head, grasping Charles's hand. With her other hand she gestured to the bandage around his head.

"He's not in any condition to do that right now," she said.

"Moira, it's just a bump," he said.

"And we both know it's going to affect how you use Cerebro," Moira said, "We'd have to wait several hours before you tried anything."

"Okay, so that option's out for now," Sean said.

He directed his gaze

"Where do you think they took him?" Sean asked.

"Damned if I know," Alex said.

"Swearing doesn't make it better," Annie said.

Alex glared at her. On top of his failure he now had to deal with her.

"Come on, I know you have a better answer than that," Sean said.

Alex rubbed his forehead, trying to ignore the fact that Annie was taking out yet another piece of metal. He'd failed. It wasn't something that he was used to, and he hated the feeling that came with it. Calvin was being held by the Brotherhood because he hadn't been fast enough. Charles had been tossed aside too, gaining a knock to the head that had him out for several hours.

However, he needed to get past his own failure. They needed to act fast if they wanted to help Calvin. He sighed and looked over at Sean.

"My guess is somewhere nearby," he said, "We know they have a facility somewhere in New York, but we haven't been able to pinpoint it. They probably took him there if they're in a hurry."

"But why?" Scott said, "You said he wanted to come with us. What are they going to do? Have Emma mind control him into submission?"

There was a pause.

"Seriously?" Scott said.

"I'm not ruling it out," Alex said.

"I am," Charles said.

Alex winced as Annie picked out the last shard of metal and began bandaging the wound. A lot had happened to change his views of the Brotherhood. However, they hadn't changed that much. He had no doubt that Lorna would oppose any scheme to dominate anyone's will. She respected the will of the individual far too much for that.

He just didn't trust her father to show that same respect.

"Look, Charles, we both know that Magneto is willing to go to some extremes-" Alex started.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't finish that sentence," Charles said, "But, in practical terms, I'm not sure that it's within Emma's skill level to change someone's mind so completely."

"She's done it in the past," Sean said.

"Not in the way you're suggesting," Charles said, "Controlling someone short term is one thing. Long term is completely different. Major decisions act as a filter through which we see almost every memory. It's complicated."

"I'm getting that," Sean said.

He looked over at Annie.

"When's he cleared for field?" he asked.

"Two days," Annie said.

"The hell I am!" Alex said.

She grinned at him. Alex wanted to swear again. He had no idea just what it was about him that she found so funny.

"One day at best," she said, finishing with the bandage.

Alex swung his legs off the table.

"How about now?" he said.

He took a step and stumbled. Scott put out a hand to steady him. Annie joined him on the other side.

"You've lost a lot of blood," she said, "Besides, the morphine won't wear off for another few hours."

"I told you not to use it," Alex said.

She rolled her eyes. Alex sat back down.

"Sean, you're either going to have to wait a couple of hours or take Charles with you," he said.

"That's out of the question!" Moira said.

"Calvin's only seen the two of us," Alex said, "He'll probably be suspicious of anyone he doesn't know. He's been having a pretty bad day."

Moira looked at him uncertainly, holding Charles's hand a little tighter.

"Moira, it'll be fine," Charles said.

Moira sighed and Sean cleared his throat.

"Look," he said, "we need to figure out where to start. We'll figure out who's going from there, okay?"

Alex leaned back on the table, frustration welling up in him.

"Fine," he said.

"Can you manage it?"

Lorna watched as Emma turned from her father and looked at the unconscious teen. Janos had knocked him out shortly after he had started fighting, claiming that they didn't want him to hurt himself. He'd been brought into a side room and Lorna had followed, her father's indifference to the affair imprinted in her mind.

She looked between Emma and her father, feeling numb.

"He's got a very strong will," Emma said.

"Nothing we haven't run up against before," her father said.

"Not in a task this complex," Emma said, "If this were for something smaller, than it would be quite a bit easier. But for something long-term…if I do this wrong, he will end up with brain damage."

"Permanent?" her father asked.

"Most likely," Emma said.

Her father shrugged.

"It's not like we have any other choice," he said.

Lorna stared at them, finding her tongue for the first time since Calvin had been brought in.

"Can you hear yourselves?" she demanded.

All three of them paused and looked at her.

"You are seriously considering overriding someone's will to have them fight for us, possibly damaging them forever," Lorna said, "At what point did that become standard procedure?"

"It hasn't," Emma said, "But this is a special case."

"How?" Lorna demanded.

Emma sighed and her father shook his head.

"We can't let the X-men have him Lorna," he said, "That makes him a special case, and it means that we have to take special precautions."

"Father, you can't be serious," Lorna said.

Her father folded his arms.

"Lorna, can we have this conversation somewhere else?" he asked.

She blinked and looked around. Emma was watching with something bordering on amusement and Janos looked annoyed. Lorna swallowed.

"Alright," she said.

Her father gestured and they walked out of the room. He closed the door behind them.

"Lorna, do you know what Calvin's powers are?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Of course not," he said, "There was no time to fill you in. Calvin has the power to mimic mutations."

Lorna furrowed her brow.

"Any mutation?" she asked.

"Some are, apparently, more difficult than others," her father said, "We've been following him for quite some time. Do you understand what having someone like him on the team could mean?"

"I…understand the implication," Lorna said, "Tactically and strategically."

"Now, apply those same terms to the X-men," her father said.

She winced.

"It would be pretty bad for us if he fought with them," she admitted.

"See?" her father said, "He's a special case. They got to him first, and we can't help that. We'd prefer not to have to do things this way, but we don't have any other choice."

Lorna crossed her arms.

"Actually, I don't see that," she said.

Her father pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Haven't you been listening to what I've been saying?" he asked.

"I have," Lorna said, "and it doesn't make any sense. Father, think about it for a minute-"

"I'm not going to allow the X-men to gain a member that can mimic our powers," her father said, "It's too dangerous for us. Can't you imagine?"

"So the next step is taking away his free will?" Lorna said.

She threw her hands up.

"We're attacking our own kind right now," Lorna said, "you have to admit that you've crossed your own lines."

Her father stared at her, his gaze hard.

"Lorna, I don't know what's gotten into you recently," he said, "You've become difficult to talk to, to explain things to."

"I've gotten difficult to talk to?" Lorna demanded.

Her father shook his head.

"You're not a child anymore," he said, "I can't afford to have you being petulant. You must see that."

"I'm not being petulant!" Lorna said, "What you're doing, father, you have to see that you can't do these things!"

Her voice cracked at the end. She knew that she sounded desperate. Her father shook his head again before he put his hands on her shoulders.

"You know it's us or them," he said.

"But they'd let him go if it was the other way around!" Lorna said.

"Which is why they're weak," her father said.

Lorna's mind filled with the image of Alex's scars. She breathed in.

"Are they weak," she asked, "or are they just willing to make the tough decision that keeps their morals intact?"

She was surprised at how sharp her words came out. Her father's grip on her shoulders tightened slightly.

"Lorna, I'm depending on you to lead," he said, "And one of the things that leaders have to do is make difficult choices."

He took his hands off her shoulders.

"I need to go," he said, "We'll postpone making a decision on Calvin until morning. By then I hope you'll figure things out."

Her father walked away. Lorna watched him, her decision solidifying in her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

March 26, 1975

A blindfold circled Calvin's eyes. He could feel that his hands were bound, and the area was small. They had bound his feet as well. He didn't know what they had used, but it was strong. He couldn't quite access his enhanced strength: he had his telepathy on full power, which wasn't much, to wait for when Emma came back in.

Calvin was scared, and he could feel despair creeping in. He liked to think of himself as the type who didn't scare easily. As long as he could remember his father had violent mood swings. He'd never hit Calvin, but it was traumatic enough for a four-year-old child to be screamed at about lawsuits that he didn't understand.

As far as he could piece together, his father had come up with several inventions which had been snatched and patented before he could defend his findings. Calvin's mother had died soon after. The two events had combined to make his father a dangerously unstable man, but one that was still looked at as being able to raise his son.

Logically Calvin could see that why he'd started going out to the streets more and more. All of the lawsuits had left his father virtually penniless, and with his sanity slipping he wasn't about to find work that paid a decent wage. Whatever he did earn had ended up funneled towards beer in the end.

Calvin had dropped out of school when he was fifteen. During his time on the streets he'd encountered a few mutants, copying their powers with pride. He'd been aware that he was falling in with a bad crowd, but it hadn't concerned him at the time. His first arrest had been when he was sixteen. He'd used his newfound telepathy to get himself out of the police department.

It had impressed his gang to no end, and he soon found himself with an increasing amount of respect. He'd reveled in it, having long since left home. It had felt amazing to be able to run away from a household containing only a bitter father to a place where he was respected and valued.

The latest heist had made him uneasy tough. He'd participated in the robberies, but members of his gang had actually started firing their weapons, careless of their aim. Before they had just been used as deterrents. Only a few of them had ever been loaded. Things were changing, and Calvin wasn't sure he liked just how they were changing.

On the night he'd been arrested for the second time in his career he'd seen his gang members shoot a man. It hadn't been fatal, but he knew that it had been intended to be so. Suddenly, everything that he'd been doing for the past few years came crashing down on him, forcing him to his knees.

His thoughts had been jumbled. He'd become a thief, at first for survival and then for fun and respect. How could he have sunk that low for respect? How stupid did that make him? He'd wanted respect from people who were willing to kill people. He'd used the strange powers that had manifested in himself to help them get to that point.

Calvin had barely blinked as he'd been dragged to his cell. He'd spent hours staring at it, turning his crimes over in his head. When the CIA agent had come in, Levine he thought he was named, he'd snapped and snarled at him for lack of anything else to do. Then, when he thought it was over, he had lapsed into depression.

He'd thrown everything away. If he had tried a different path then he might have made something of himself by that point. He was supposed to be in his junior year in high school. That wasn't going to happen. Instead he'd become the same type of man that his father was: bitter and only out for himself. He deserved to stay in that cell, to go to prison. Calvin had lost any opportunities to take himself out of the pit that he had thrown himself in.

Then Xavier had come in with Alex. They'd offered him something that he'd instinctively sneered at. Then, as Xavier had continued talking, Calvin had realized that this was the last chance that he was going to be offered. He could change. Alex's confirmation only made him more eager to take his chance.

Then Emma and Janos had ruined everything. He'd heard their names as they trundled him from the police department to wherever it was that he was now. He'd listened out of curiosity, but their descriptions had made him hysterical. Calvin had wanted to escape that sort of life.

They hadn't given him any other choice though. He'd heard enough of their conversation to understand a little of what they intended to do to him. Calvin swallowed. He knew he wouldn't be able to resist for very long. He'd never been very good at reproducing telepathy, certainly not enough to resist an actual telepath.

He felt like screaming. He really had thrown away every chance he'd had. If he'd agreed to Xavier's offer sooner than they might not have been in that cell when Emma and Janos had come in. Calvin felt like crying, but he wasn't going to let them see his tears. He was seventeen, not some blubbering child.

He heard footsteps. Calvin stiffened and took a deep breath. He notched up his mental defenses, although he had the feeling that Emma would brush them away like cobwebs. It was the only resistance that he could offer though, and he had to offer some sort of token of resistance. Calvin was still angry enough at his situation to be able to offer that.

"Hey, you awake?"

He didn't answer, but he frowned at the voice. It wasn't one that he was too familiar with.

"I'll take that as a yes."

A hand grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him to his feet. He turned his head in the voice's direction, drawing himself up as much as he could. Calvin could feel his hands begin to shake, but it wasn't going to matter in another minute. He could only suppose that the voice's owner was going to take him to Emma, and then he wasn't going to be himself anymore.

He felt the bonds on his feet break. Calvin's frown deepened.

"I need to get you out of here," the voice said.

"What?" Calvin said.

"Shh!"

He shut his mouth, still staring sightlessly in the direction of the voice.

"Look," the voice said urgently, "I don't have to tell you that you're in a shitty situation right now. But if you listen to me then I can get you out. But you have to stay quiet, and you have to keep the blindfold on. Okay?"

For a minute Calvin continued to stare at the inside of the blindfold. He wasn't sure if he could trust the person talking to him. He concentrated on trying to figure out if he knew the person. With a great deal of effort he vaguely remembered the voice from the woman in the hallway, how shocked she had been when he'd been brought in.

It wasn't much, but he wasn't in any position to be picky.

"Where are we going?" Calvin whispered.

"Somewhere safe. Just follow me."

He nodded, although he was still uncertain. Calvin felt a hand encircle his bound wrists and begin to pull him forwards. Not being able to see made it difficult for him to follow the woman, although his footsteps were clumsy. More than once she stopped him. He knew she was trying to make sure that they weren't being followed. When she was satisfied she would pull him along again, his heart beating a little faster.

Finally cold air filled his lungs. They were outside. The woman continued to pull him along. He heard a car door open as she pulled him another few steps.

"Take a step up," she said.

Calvin did. He felt with his bound hands for the seat and sat down. A second later the door slammed behind him. For a moment Calvin contemplated taking off his blindfold and hotwiring the car. It wouldn't take too long. He'd become pretty good at it when he was with his gang.

However, there was too much to consider. He had no real reason to doubt that the woman was sincere. Besides, he had no clue where he was. If he were to go by himself then it was likely that the weirdos who took him would find him. Calvin had nowhere to go, except Xavier's school, and he didn't know where that was.

The other door opened. Calvin sighed. No matter what, it appeared that he was going to be in for the long haul. He felt the seatbelt cross in front of him and buckle in, although he knew the woman wasn't close enough to him. Calvin breathed in, trying to remain calm as the car started up.

They drove in silence for a few minutes. Calvin cleared his throat.

"Can I take off the blindfold?" he asked.

"It's best that you don't," the woman said.

Calvin wanted to argue, but he decided against it.

"You didn't tell me where we were going," he said.

"Not 'we,' you," the woman said, "I heard that you decided to go to Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning, right?"

Calvin felt a lump form in his throat.

"Yes," he said, "I wanted to, but-"

"I know about the but."

The woman's voice was grim.

"We're a couple hours away," the woman said, "I can get you there. They'll take you in. They might want to read your mind real quick, make sure that no one's dominating you, but they'll take you in."

His breath caught.

"You're serious?" he asked.

Calvin heard the desperation in his voice. He heard the woman take a deep breath, almost as if she were trying to steady herself.

"Yes," she said.

Excitement pulsed through him, quickly followed by darker thoughts.

"What about those people?" Calvin said, "I don't want…I mean…I don't want to cause any trouble for them."

He remembered the way Alex and Xavier had been thrown about. Calvin hadn't wanted to hurt anyone, but people had already been hurt because of him.

"I've already done enough," he said.

The woman laughed.

"I don't think they'll care," she said, "Their people and our people…let's just say they've had more than one run-in. You're just the latest episode."

"That's not very comforting," Calvin muttered.

"It's not supposed to be," the woman said, "It's just a statement of fact. Believe me, they'll want to take you in."

She sighed.

"It's what they do," she said.

"Yeah, take in people and give them a second chance," Calvin said, "Alex told me."

He heard the woman take in a sharp breath.

"Alex was there?" she asked.

He frowned.

"Yeah," he said.

"He was alright when you left, right?" she asked.

"Pretty banged up, but nothing fatal," Calvin said, "Why?"

The woman didn't answer. They rode in silence for a long time. Calvin knew he fell asleep at one point, waking with his hands still bound and the blindfold securely in place.

"Are we close?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said.

There was another long pause. After a while the car stopped. He felt the seatbelt unbuckle and heard a car door open. A moment later the door to his side opened. The woman grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the car. He heard a screeching noise fill the air, almost as though metal were bending.

"What the hell?" he asked.

"Shut up," the woman said, "This is going to take long enough as it is."

She pulled him forwards. He felt his shoulders brush against something. They walked a little further before the woman stopped.

"I'm going to unbind your hands. You can take off the blindfold in a few minutes," the woman said, "And then I'm going to go. Don't follow me or have them follow me, understand?"

"Understood," he said.

Calvin shifted his feet.

"Thanks," he said.

"You shouldn't have been there to start with," she said, "But…just one question."

"Yeah?" Calvin said.

The woman sighed.

"Why did you choose them?" she asked.

Calvin managed a smile.

"I want to move forwards with my life," he said, "Not backwards."

The woman sighed again.

"So do I."

He frowned. A second later he felt the bindings on his hands give. He waited until he heard the strange screeching noise before he took off his blindfold. When he did he turned and saw that the metal bars of a fence were bending back into place. He caught a flash of the woman's green hair before she bounded off.

Calvin looked at the mansion in front of him. He swallowed before heading towards the doors. He wanted to move forwards after all.


	8. Chapter 8

March 26, 1975

"Are you alright?" Alex asked.

Calvin nodded before chugging a glass of water. He put the glass of water down before reaching for the sandwich. Annie put a hand on his shoulder.

"Slower," she said, "You're going to be sick otherwise."

"Sorry," Calvin said.

He took a deep breath.

"I just…I haven't eaten in about a day," he said, "I wasn't hungry at lunch when the cops brought it 'round and…I missed dinner."

Annie smiled and turned a worried glance to Alex. She'd been called up to see if Calvin was injured. He wasn't, but she'd stayed to make sure that he was properly fed. Sean had been called as well, and he stood in the back of the room, his arms crossed. The only one who hadn't been called was Moira, and that was because she was still trying to slow down Stryker.

Ever since Calvin had disappeared Stryker had begun searching for him, and it had become a race. Levine had tried to explain away the signs of mutant involvement, but Stryker had begun screaming conspiracy. Alex had been ready to go out when they'd heard. It had been all hands on deck for a few hours, calling in all the favors they had and some that they didn't to stop a potential mutant hunt. Sean still owed whoever this SHIELD was for what had happened with Sinister, and Alex was worried about the swiftly mounting debt.

So it had been a shock when Calvin had knocked on the door. He'd looked shell-shocked and more than a little scared. A quick mental scan by Charles showed that their worst fears hadn't been realized, although Calvin hadn't elaborated on what had happened. They had waited until he'd been put into a chair, medically evaluated, and given some food to ask.

"What happened?" Alex said, "We were getting a party together to go looking for you."

Calvin paused and looked up.

"Why?" Calvin asked.

His tone was genuinely shocked. Alex made sure to look him in the eye.

"We don't leave people behind," he said.

"Never," Sean said.

Calvin swallowed and looked back down.

"I…I don't…I'm not…" Calvin said.

Charles gave him a gentle smile.

"You're in a safe place now," Charles said.

Calvin nodded and ducked his head.

"Thanks," he said.

He poked at the sandwich with his hand before picking it up.

"I told them I didn't want to go with them, and they said they wanted to do something to my mind," he said, "Then I got locked somewhere."

Alex's hand clenched into a fist. Alex's eyes met Charles and Charles looked away. It appeared that Charles had to learn yet another hard lesson as to how far his friend had fallen, what he was willing to do. Although he felt sympathy for Charles, part of him was shocked at the constant faith he always showed. Then again, that was just Charles.

"So, how did you get out?" Alex asked.

Calvin bit into the sandwich and chewed it. He put the rest of it down, obviously forcing himself to eat slowly.

"One of them let me go, drove me here," he said.

He saw Charles furrow his brow. Sean raised his eyebrows. Even Annie looked uncertain. Alex was inclined to side with them.

"They let you go?" he said.

"One of them," Calvin said.

He shuddered.

"Not all of them," Calvin said.

He took another bite of the sandwich before pausing. Charles still had his head in his hands. Alex winced, feeling the worry pour off his mentor. He gave a quick glance at Sean, who inclined his head towards Alex. It looked like he was going to have to take over the interview.

"I hope that they don't get into trouble. They helped me out," Calvin said.

"They most certainly will get into trouble if they went against Magneto," Alex said.

"Which one's Magneto?" Calvin asked.

"The one with the helmet and cape," Alex said.

He saw Charles flinch. He could still see that Charles was suffering from the news, and what he said couldn't have helped. Alex wondered if he should have held his tongue.

"Who was it?" Sean asked, "They don't contradict Magneto's orders often."

"Try ever," Alex said.

Sean shrugged.

"So, which one?" he asked.

"The one with the green hair," Calvin said.

The words carved themselves into Alex's brain.

"What?" he asked.

He saw Sean stiffen and Charles looked up slightly at Alex's sharp tone. Annie's frown deepened and Calvin drew back, but Alex couldn't care less.

"Repeat that," he said.

"The uh, green-haired one let me out, drove me here," he said, "I don't know her name."

The word 'Lorna' formed on his tongue, but he managed to shut it down.

"Magnetrix," he said, "The green-haired one is Magnetrix. She's Magneto's daughter."

Calvin made a face.

"He's a bastard though," he said.

Sean glanced at Charles once.

"It's getting late," Sean said, "I think we'd best continue this in the morning."

"Of course," Charles said, straightening, "We'll need to set up your class schedule tomorrow, but I believe that some rest is in order for the night. Annie, do you know if there are any rooms on the ground floor?"

Annie nodded and put her hand on Calvin's shoulder.

"Come on," she said, "You should get some rest. You've had a long day."

Calvin got up. He looked around the room and shuffled his feet. He paused at the door.

"Thanks," he said, "For everything."

"There's no need," Charles said, straightening.

Calvin smiled uncertainly before he left the room with Annie. Charles rubbed his temples.

"Now that Calvin's here we need to do a preliminary surveillance on Colonel Stryker, make sure that he leaves the case alone," he said, "Levine's assurances aren't particularly reassuring."

"Right," Sean said, "But we can figure that out when it's a little lighter out."

"Indeed," Charles said.

He rubbed his temples once again before leaving the room. Alex knew that he was going to go find Moira, perhaps talk his conflicted feelings out with her. He was leaning on her more now than before. Alex might not have been privy to the secrets of their marriage, but he knew that much.

As soon as Charles was out of earshot Sean turned to him. Alex didn't like his expression.

"She saved him," Alex said, "I'm worried she might get hurt for helping one of our people. It's not unusual."

He was truly worried. Alex had to fight the urge to run out and find her, to warn her that she was walking into a hornet's nest. There was no way he could do that though. She was probably back at the Brotherhood's base, awaiting punishment with her usual poise.

It wasn't something he wanted to imagine.

"It's unusual for you," Sean said, "And people are noticing."

Alex clenched his hand into a fist.

"She's different," Alex said.

"I'm getting that," Sean said, "But it doesn't change things."

"I know that!" Alex snapped.

Sean gave him an even look.

"Do you?" he asked.

Alex snarled before turning on his heel and leaving the room. His friend didn't understand, and he never would. His mind went back to Lorna. He hoped that her status as Magneto's daughter might mean that he would moderate his hand somewhat when the time came to punish her. Alex wasn't sure that it would but he hoped, for Lorna's sake, that it did.

* * *

Lorna crept back into the compound. She felt as though someone had given her a backpack full of bricks to carry. The consequences of what she had done were inevitable, and she knew that there would be hell to pay soon enough. She just wasn't sure what type of hell, and living in limbo wasn't something to be desired.

She walked by the training room. Despite the late hour she saw Tabby inside, furiously hitting a punching bag. Lorna stared at her for a moment before walking in. She didn't really want to talk to Tabby, but she was still Tabby's teacher. She had a duty to her no matter what had happened.

Tabby looked up as she came in.

"Hey Lorna," she said.

"Hey," Lorna said, her throat like sandpaper, "Little late for this, isn't it?"

"Just trying to keep up," Tabby said.

She flopped down on a bench. Lorna sat beside her.

"I'm not very good at this whole Brotherhood thing," Tabby said.

Lorna looked over at her. She knew that what had happened with Sinister had disturbed her.

"You're just starting out. Even I started somewhere," Lorna said, "I had my first lesson in here you know."

"Mags train you?" Tabby said.

"Yes," Lorna said, "Him and Azazel."

"Who?" Tabby asked.

Lorna swallowed. There was so much she wanted to ask her former teacher in light of Alex's revelation. He was gone though, killed in front of her. Now she could never know why he tortured him. If he believed anything that he'd taught her, he wouldn't have done it. Not unless someone had convinced him.

Despite not wanting to think about it, Lorna had thought about the scars on Alex's chest for a very long time. Alex had told her that her father had been involved. She could imagine him talking to Azazel, telling him to get the information that they had needed. Azazel wasn't perfect though. Lorna imagined that he had listened to her father's arguments for a few minutes before going in. The thought made her sick, but she knew that it was probably the most likely scenario.

She thought of Alex too, thought of him undergoing three days of torture before escaping. Once he'd made it home he'd refused to talk to anyone about it so his brother wouldn't feel guilty over his wounds. He'd suffered in silence with only the Professor to talk to, briefly if she understood correctly, and heal his wounds.

It was a strength that she couldn't help but admire, a silent kind of courage that put the needs of others before his own. She'd seen that strength in him in battle, always pushing forwards. Lorna had felt that strength when his hands had slowly let go of her. She'd always hoped to have that courage for herself.

It was why she'd had to let Calvin go.

"Lorna?" Tabby asked.

She swallowed.

"Azazel died a couple of months before you came to us," she said.

"Oh," Tabby said, "Sorry."

"Don't be," she said, "You didn't know."

Lorna pulled out one of her knives and looked at it.

"He taught me that there could be honor in battle," Lorna said, "That there was a way to fight an opponent and still respect them."

The words were bitter. Until a few months ago she had looked up to her former teacher as a man of honor and integrity, just like she had looked up to her father. Now so many of his lessons had been made hypocritical. It also meant that her father was still living in that hypocrisy, telling her that their cause were just when it was a lie. Calvin was evidence enough of that.

Lorna was sure that he had just lost his way though. She refused to think that her father liked what he had done. The burden of leadership was getting to him. He must not have seen any other way before he resorted to those methods. It was Lorna's duty to show him that he could do things with honor. If only he'd listen.

"I've seen you slam a guy's head into the wall when you fight," Tabby said, "I'd say that's fighting dirty."

Lorna grinned, trying to concentrate on the situation at hand.

"Yeah," Lorna said, "But I stopped him. That's the first priority. I respected him enough not to kill him for the fun of it. It's not necessarily the same as fighting with honor."

"So how do you define it?" Tabby asked.

Lorna looked back at the knife, the point turning delicately over her finger.

"By showing mercy when we can," Lorna said.

"And when we can't?" Tabby asked.

"Offer a quick death."

Lorna looked over at the doorway. Her father was standing there, his expression blank. She put away her knife and got up. It was time to face the reckoning.

* * *

_**A/N: **Sorry I haven't been getting back to all of my reviewers: internet trouble. I was still able to post though, and by accident I posted more than I was supposed to, but I had written a head, so it stayed daily. I'm glad you're all liking the fic so far!_


	9. Chapter 9

March 26, 1975

"Have you lost your senses!"

Lorna stared straight ahead, a lump forming in her throat. She felt like she was about to choke on it. Her father stood at the other end of the room, glaring at her. Lorna hadn't tried to misdirect him by pretending not to know what he was talking about. She respected him too much for that.

Besides, she'd known that it would be obvious that it had been her. She'd been the only one who'd wanted them to let him go. It wasn't as though she'd thought they wouldn't notice. She'd taken one of the vehicles and one of their prisoners. She'd just been banking on them not having enough time to stop her. At least she'd calculated that correctly.

Her father had walked in front of her the entire way to his 'office.' Lorna had briefly glimpsed Angel's anguished face as she'd walked by. Emma and Janos had been in the hall. Her father had dismissed them, but she'd seen the murderous look that Janos had given her as he'd left. Emma had merely raised an eyebrow.

Now, as her father screamed at her, Lorna couldn't help but shrink away. He had never been this angry with her before.

"Why, why would you do this?" he said.

Lorna swallowed.

"Father, what we were doing was wrong," she said, "I sought to correct it."

He threw his hands into the air.

"I went through great length to explain to you why we were doing what we were doing," he said, "And you repeat that line?"

"I understood what you said-" Lorna said.

"Evidently not, since you just gave him a free ride to Westchester and a free gift to her enemies," her father said.

Despite herself, Lorna could feel anger welling up in her.

"I wouldn't have had to if you'd just let him go in the first place!" she shouted.

"Lorna, you know why we couldn't do that!"

"No, I didn't!"

Her voice bounced off the walls back to her. She wondered how many people could hear them and, briefly, she worried. Then her father kept talking.

"You knew why we couldn't let them have Calvin," he said, "But you did this, and you have put the lives of everyone in the Brotherhood in jeopardy."

Lorna bit her lip.

"I had to do the right thing," she said.

"Which would have been to leave him to Emma," her father said.

She shook her head.

"I can't agree with that," she said.

Her father glared at her, his expression filled with angry bafflement.

"I don't understand you anymore," he said.

Lorna stared at him.

"What?" she asked.

"It used to be that you were good at following orders, at understanding what we were trying to do," he said, "But as soon as I gave you command…"

He paused, his face softening. He reached out and touched her shoulder. For a moment the anger leeched away, leaving him looking tired.

"Lorna, I should have talked to you sooner," he said.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

He sighed.

"Some of our brethren have brought concerns to my attention," he said.

"Like?" Lorna said through gritted teeth.

She heard her father sigh again.

"Your insistence on having a code for our prisoners, as well as your ideas of rules of engagement," her father said, "They're unnecessary and dangerous Lorna. Rules will be broken if they are made."

Lorna felt uncomfortable. She hadn't expected her training practices to come under scrutiny.

"But if we have rules then we have a boundary, a line that we can't cross," Lorna said, "We need to know where we stop."

"Then there's the manner in which you are training those in your care," he said, ignoring her, "I heard what you were saying to Boom-Boom."

Lorna felt her face flush.

"I'm just teaching them to show mercy," she said, "Is that such a bad thing?"

He shook his head and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Lorna, I understand what you're trying to do," he said.

Lorna felt her heart beat faster. She could barely keep the relieved smile off her face, although she couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. He had changed his tune rather quickly. She had expected a fight. Instead he understood. Maybe it had just taken a little bit of time for him, to talk and to see that it was her.

"You're trying to bring an entire situation under your control," her father said, "I tried this when I first started leading the Brotherhood."

Lorna frowned.

"What?" she asked.

"You need to understand that there are only certain aspects of a situation that you can control," her father said, "And you need to prioritize."

She digested his words her relief slipping away. Lorna clasped her hands together, her nails biting into her skin.

"You're saying that the fate of bystanders shouldn't affect me?" Lorna said.

"We're fighting humans Lorna," her father said, "It's the whole point of the Brotherhood."

"I thought that the whole point of the Brotherhood was that we protect mutantkind," Lorna said, her voice rising.

"It's the same thing," her father said.

"No, it isn't," Lorna said.

A muscle in her father's jaw twitched. She knew from experience that he was getting angry again, but so was she.

"You're being obstinate," he said.

"No, I'm making sense," Lorna said, "We're here to protect, not to kill."

"Sometimes you have to accept that there will be collateral damage," he said.

"I don't have to accept anything I don't want," Lorna said.

"You can't have anything without collateral," her father said, "I've learned that only too well. It's better for that collateral to be humans rather than mutants."

Lorna felt the air sucked out of her lungs. Words came that had once been spat at her came to mind.

"Collateral damage is a term people use when they want to justify lives that could have been spared and pain that could have been avoided," she said, "People use it to justify their own laziness."

Her father stared at her, the muscle in his jaw twitching again. He was getting angrier. She supposed it would be even worse if he knew she was quoting Alex.

"We're not lazy," he said, "You know how hard we fight."

"And if we fought a little harder than we wouldn't leave a trail of devastation," Lorna said, "Don't you see? We can be a force for good in this world."

"We are a force for good."

Bitterness filled her.

"No, we're not father," she said, "We're really not. Think about what you were trying to do, brainwash a teen to do your will. Good guys don't do that."

His eyes narrowed.

"Lorna-" he began.

"What have we accomplished since you built the Brotherhood?" Lorna said, "Nothing, nothing has changed! We're not making things better!"

"We are fighting a war!" he said, "Wars take a long time. You can't afford to have this doubt within you. Boom-Boom, Toad, Lance, and Senyaka are looking at you to lead them."

Her father's expression struggled, setting on something gentle.

"Lorna," he said, "if you weren't ready, then you should have said something. I would have listened."

Angrily Lorna jerked his hand off her shoulder.

"I was ready," Lorna said, "I'm sorry if I decided to try to teach my team some basic respect for the lives that they take!"

"Human lives aren't as important as mutant ones," her father said, the gentleness struggling to stay in place, "If we can save them, then it's alright, but there's no reason why we should go out of our way to do so! The less there are of them then the better chance that we have."

He threw his hands up.

"How can you not understand this?" he said.

"Because it's not true!" Lorna said.

"They're just collateral," he said.

"Stop using that word!" Lorna shouted.

"Why? It's the right one," her father said, "Humans are just collateral damage, and don't go spouting that nonsense you did earlier."

She sucked in a deep breath.

"If you use those standards, then my mother was collateral," Lorna hissed.

Her father's eyes narrowed and his face closed off.

"Don't you dare bring your mother into this," he said.

"Why not?" Lorna snapped, "She's a part of this."

"No she's not!" her father said.

She felt tears in her eyes.

"She was human, wasn't she?" Lorna said.

A muscle in her father's jaw twitched and he turned his head, obviously trying to keep his anger under control.

"This is a difficult subject for both of us," he said, "I'd have thought, given what happened, you wouldn't use that argument to defend humans."

"She was one," Lorna said.

"She was exceptional. We've discussed this."

"Not like this!" Lorna said.

"I don't want to hear about it!" her father shouted.

Metal began to bend around her. She saw a table crunch in before her father took a deep breath. The metal stabilized and he turned his eyes to her.

"I never thought that I would have cause to say this," he said, "But you've disappointed me Lorna. For the first time, I'm ashamed of you."

Lorna reeled under his words. She wondered if the pain showed on her face. Even if it did, her father kept talking.

"You are relieved of command of your team," he said.

She felt like the floor had been taken away.

"What?" she managed.

"Somehow your judgment has been compromised," he said, "I'll put you on a mission in another facility. No one has to know the real reason until you remember what we stand for, until you're ready to lead."

Lorna could feel the tears trying to fight their way to the surface. How had this happened, any of it?

"Father," she said, "Please, just listen-"

"Don't," he said, "Just don't. I'm not going to listen to any more of your excuses."

He shook his head before waving his hand. The door opened and he walked out, allowing it to slam behind him. For a moment Lorna looked after him, feeling as though she were insubstantial, that nothing mattered anymore, that her heart had stopped beating and her mind had stopped working.

Ashamed. That was the word he had used. Her father wouldn't listen to her, and now he was ashamed of her. Over what? The belief that lives should be spared if they could that humans had their place in the world as well as mutants? For helping someone remain in control of their mind? For the crime of trying to change practices that condoned torture, kidnapping, and overwhelming cruelty.

Lorna looked around her. She had played in her father's office as a little girl. She had hidden under the tables and folded the paper into airplanes to throw. He'd always smiled at her, never gotten angry even when she'd spilt ink over documents. She'd been taught about the danger that humans had posed, taught them that they were all like the ones that had come after her. For so long she had taken that as gospel.

Now, for thinking that something else could be so, he was ashamed of her. She was something to be ashamed of now. She took a deep breath. Suddenly, the room and house that had been so familiar to her for so long became suffocating. She couldn't even think there, couldn't gather the wits that she knew she would need.

Lorna needed to get out.


	10. Chapter 10

March 30, 1975

Alex finished photographing the papers in Stryker's desk. He'd done the same with Stryker's father when he was sixteen. It had been harder back then: he'd been a teenager running around in the CIA compound. The operation had been specifically delicate since Charles hadn't wanted Moira to see Alex. Her memories had been gone then, and Charles didn't want to risk them being triggered by Alex's presence.

He'd regretted obeying orders, since he hadn't liked what had been done to Moira. However, he had his suspicions that his actions had provided a bread crumb trail that only Moira, with her residual memories, had been able to put together. This time though, there would be no one following him. He was just a member of the cleaning staff, and with some of his techniques applied no one would be able to recognize him.

He stuffed the camera back into his pocket and made his way out of the building. He went a few blocks before changing his clothes. Alex stuffed them in his backpack and walked over to the next block. The street lights had gone on and it started to rain. Alex paused to take his umbrella out of his backpack.

His car was a few more blocks away and the rain was coming down heavy. He wasn't looking forward to driving back in it. Still, he'd be able to be back in a few hours. Alex didn't know what he would be coming back to though. Sean was becoming increasingly worried about him, and he knew that Charles was still a little upset over what Calvin had told them.

For his part though, it looked like Calvin was settling in nicely. There was that at least. He was still a little anti-social, but Alex was sure that he would get over it fairly soon. Alex had gotten over it after all, and if he could, then there was no reason why Calvin, who was quite a bit more mature than he'd been coming into the Institute, couldn't. Scott was his roommate, and he knew that his little brother would take care of Calvin.

As he turned a corner he saw another figure walking in the rain, although they didn't have an umbrella. They didn't seem to be in any hurry, which was an oddity for any New Yorker. Their hands were shoved in their pockets and their head was hunched forward, almost as though they were trying to burry themselves beneath their hood. A heavy backpack was slung over their shoulders, soaked from the rain.

Still, it wasn't too much of an uncommon sight. Alex didn't think anything of it until a car drove by. Water splashed onto the curb and the figure lightly sidestepped it in a weaving fashion. Alex stared. He knew those steps. Shouldering his umbrella he quickened his pace until he was level with them.

He considered putting his hand on her shoulder, but his own experience when she had stitched his shoulder had taught him better. If he reacted that way, then he had the feeling she would too. He was not going home with a broken nose.

"Lorna?"

She turned and, briefly, he got the image of her shocked face. It was streaked with dirt and she had dark circles under her face. Then she ducked her head.

"Alex," she said.

She'd stopped walking, and Alex was grateful. She didn't look like she wanted to be there, but she didn't look like she was going to try to run. He didn't know what he would do if she'd tried to run. This, coupled with the knowledge that she had used his name for the first time in his memory, warmed him.

He tried to remember his training, although this came secondary. If Lorna was there then he supposed that the Brotherhood was up to something. He winced at the thought: he wasn't in the mood to fight, and he hadn't been expecting to run into Lorna. Not while walking down the street. It was the only thing that marred seeing her again.

He supposed it always would.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said.

He shrugged, feeling foolish.

"Business, but I can honestly say it's nothing that involves the Brotherhood," he said, "Same for you?"

Lorna hesitated. Alex furrowed his brow and took a closer look. He'd expected to see the gleam of purple of her uniform beneath her trench coat. Instead he could only see her long-sleeved t-shirt peeking out. He blinked at her, hope growing in his heart. He needed to check: he didn't want to be wrong.

"Lorna, you're here alone, aren't you?" he asked.

Lorna crossed her arms, glaring at the ground.

"Lorna?"

"I'm alone, okay?" she snapped, "Happy?"

"Yes, actually I am," Alex said, "It means that we can talk."

He shifted the umbrella so it sheltered the two of them. Lorna continued to look down, although he could see the way her lips turned up.

"Only you would want to talk to me," she said.

Her voice was forced, and he could hear the slight crack in it. Even though he knew it was a bad idea he reached out and touched her shoulder. She stiffened for a moment before relaxing. Alex let out the breath that he had been holding. Once more he hadn't known if she would run at the casual touch.

He could still remember her lips against his, and he ached to reenact the intimacy that they had shared next to the Blackbird. However, he knew that their position was complicated to say the least. Sean had been right about that. Their kiss would have to remain a taboo subject, at least for now.

It didn't mean that he couldn't give her a comforting touch though. What they were was unspoken, he didn't think there was a word for it, but it allowed this.

"Lorna, did something happen?" he asked.

She hesitated again.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said.

The hope inside of him received a new boost, but it faded a little when Lorna took his hand off her shoulder.

"I need to get going," she said, "It was…good seeing you again."

"Lorna, just wait," Alex said.

She stopped and he could tell that she didn't really want to go. It was unlikely that he could have stopped her if she had. He looked around him, wildly trying to figure out something to make her stay, some excuse. He saw a diner near them that was still open, the cheap neon lights flashing through the night. Alex forced a smile and gestured towards it.

"You don't have an umbrella," he said, jerking his head towards the diner, "Want to get something and wait for the rain to end?"

Lorna sighed.

"Alex-" she started.

"Come on," he said, "Thirty minutes tops. If it doesn't work out…you can have my umbrella. How's that sound?"

He saw her smile again. She shook her head, but she was still smiling.

"You're paying," she said.

Alex grinned. He knew that, somewhere, Sean was having a heart attack. He'd have every reason to. Alex couldn't help himself though. No one was around: it was just him and Lorna. The X-men and the Brotherhood seemed far away at the moment.

Together they walked into the diner. A waitress looked at them disapprovingly as their coats dripped water onto the floor. Alex closed his umbrella and slung his backpack onto the floor near a booth. It hit the floor, making a slight sound. Lorna's made a considerably louder sound when she set it down.

Lorna took off her hood, her green hair spilling down her shoulders. He thought he heard the waitress tut in disapproval. Alex wanted to smack her. After a minute the waitress walked over, her pencil poised. Knowing it was far too late to get a polite hello, and not really wanting one, Alex just managed a smile.

"Coffee. Black," he said, "Hamburger."

He wasn't hungry, but food might make the encounter last longer.

"Same," Lorna said.

The waitress wrote it down. The two of them sat in silence as she came back and put the cups in front of them. Lorna picked hers up immediately and took a long sip. Alex drank his a little more slowly. The hamburger followed shortly and Lorna picked it up. He was reminded of Calvin, chugging down the water and devouring the sandwich.

"So," he said, "what brings you to the big apple?"

He thought about the question for a moment.

"If you can tell me," he added.

Lorna looked out the window at the rain splattered street. She took a bite of the hamburger, still looking away. Her gaze was distant and Alex wondered if he was going to get an answer.

"Alex," she said, "I trust you. We've both agreed that it's a bad idea, and we both know that we have our own agendas, but we do trust each other. Far more than anyone in our positions should."

Alex ached to have her acknowledge that it was more than trust that they shared. However, he couldn't. All of the things he felt and couldn't express frustrated him to no end.

"We do," he said.

She didn't say anything else. For a moment he wondered if, yet again, she was going to remain silent. She put down her hamburger and cradled her cup of coffee.

"Four days ago I realized that everything I'd been told about my life was a lie and I couldn't fix it," Lorna said.

Her voice was flat, emotionless. Alex stared at her, but she didn't look at him.

"I thought I could change things," she said, "But it appears I missed the tenet in our organization that says that all humans have to be destroyed."

She put her cup of coffee down. Alex felt his throat go dry even as his heart swelled. He wanted to remind her that she could always come to Westchester, but he had the feeling that his words wouldn't be welcome. He had to proceed with caution: he knew that he was treading on dangerous ground.

"And now?" he asked.

"And now I just need to decide what I want to do," she said, tired, "I just needed to walk around for a bit, think on it."

He made a face, caution going out the window.

"Um, if you don't agree with them, then it seems like it's pretty clear what you're supposed to do next," he said.

Lorna turned her eyes to him for the first time since they had come into the diner. He winced when he realized she was glaring at him.

"If you were in my place, and you were looking at leaving Westchester and disassociating yourself with everyone in it, then would things be so easy for you?" she said.

He wanted to tell her that would never happen, but thought better of it. She'd probably thought the same thing about the Brotherhood.

"Probably not," he said.

"There you go," she said.

Alex chewed his next words over in his head.

"Only thing is, if I were leaving because I thought they were wrong," he said, his voice slow, "then I think they'd think I should go."

Lorna snorted softly and looked out the window again.

"It's never that simple with family," she said.

She finished her coffee and set the cup in the saucer.

"Thanks for the coffee and everything, but I think that I need to get going," she said.

"Wait, where are you going?" Alex asked, "I know you're not going back to your father."

She sighed.

"Fall River, Connecticut," she said.

"Why?" Alex asked.

She sighed again.

"I told you, I need some place to think," she said.

"Why there?" he asked.

Lorna shook her head.

"I need to get going if I want to be there within the week," she said.

Alex frowned, but then he remembered the circles under her eyes, her dirt-streaked face. She'd looked exhausted.

"You're walking there?" he asked.

"I told you, I needed time," she said, "I wasn't stealing one of the cars when I left."

She started to get up, but Alex grabbed her wrist.

"Let go," she said.

"Lorna, let me give you a ride," he said.

Her eyes widened. Alex's own mind echoed that shock. What was he thinking?

"It's not exactly next door," Lorna said.

"I know," Alex said, "I'll just phone Westchester and tell them my car broke down or something. It's not safe outside right now: it's raining and it's nighttime."

She shifted her feet, looking miserable.

"This isn't a good idea," she said.

"No, it isn't," Alex agreed, "But I…"

He felt miserable. He couldn't let her go by herself, but he shouldn't take her.

"Let me do this one thing for you," he said, "Please."

Lorna looked at him, her green eyes meeting his.

"Alright," she said, her voice soft.


	11. Chapter 11

March 30, 1975

"What are we going to do?" Angel said.

Magneto glared at the table, his fingers tapping the surface.

"I see no cause for alarm," he said.

"No cause?" Angel said, "She's been gone for four days!"

"She just needs some time to think," Magneto said, "That's what the note said."

"Yes, but…she's never done this before!" Angel said, "Just what did you say to her when she came back?"

She could tell that Magneto was getting angry, but Angel couldn't help it. She'd kept her worry in when she'd found out that Lorna had left, and she hadn't discussed her fears with anyone. She knew better than to do that. As far as everyone else knew, Lorna was off on a surveillance mission for a few days.

Magneto knew better though, and Angel needed to know.

"Understandably, I was angry with her," he said.

"Did you shout?" Angel asked.

He didn't answer, which told her everything she needed. She shook her head and folded her arms. Angel could feel the anxiety rising in her. She hadn't felt this anxious in years. Angel knew that Lorna was a young woman, a capable fighter, and a much more skilled member of the Brotherhood than Angel.

However, she couldn't help but think of her as she had first seen her. Angel had been sent down to Fall River, a small town in Connecticut near a couple of miles away from Mansfield. It had been a small reconnaissance mission. A high-ranking military official liked to go fishing in a lake up there, and it appeared that he had taken some friends up there to secretly plan new weapons.

Lorna had been eleven years old when she'd come into the drugstore where Angel was working undercover. She'd held her mother's hand tightly as they walked through the store. Angel had thought that they were cute together, and then she'd heard the snickers. Susanna, as she'd learned her name, walked by with Lorna as one of the workers whispered the word 'slut' to Angel.

It hadn't taken much for Angel to figure out what was going on. Angel had taken a closer look at Susanna and done a quick calculation. She'd come out with Susanna becoming a mother at eighteen. Feeling strange she had watched Susanna and Lorna around the store. Lorna pointed to a Hershey's bar and Susanna had given her a gentle smile and knelt down. They smiled and talked for a moment before Lorna picked up the chocolate.

Angel had stared. Angel's mother had been seventeen when she'd had Angel. She'd always reminded her of the fact, shouted that she'd been the only reason she'd married her father. Angel had listened to it nearly every day of her childhood. Her mother had hated her for being born.

Susanna looked at Lorna as though she were her world. Angel had watched as the two of them had come up to the counter. Susanna had smiled at her and Lorna had looked hopefully up. Angel had managed a smile and checked them out. The two of them had gone out and the girl who had whispered 'slut' had giggled.

Later that night Angel poured a can of baked beans into the girl's change of clothes. Angel hated humans, hated what they could do to her, but she supposed that there were some decent ones out there. Susanna was, until proven otherwise, one of them. It was when Angel saw Lorna as the girl that she could have been if the stars had aligned. Somehow it made her feel better about her own childhood to know that, somewhere, it had worked out.

If she concentrated she could still see Lorna with her mother in that drugstore, see that perfect childhood innocence before everything had gone downhill, before Lorna had been cruelly robbed of what she deserved. The injustice of it all was staggering.

Now, after everything, Lorna was missing because she had fought with her father. They never fought, and Lorna wasn't the type who would just leave. It was enough to make Angel much bolder than usual.

"This is your fault," Angel said.

Magneto paused, his hands grabbing the edge of the table.

"What?" he asked.

"You shouldn't have shouted at her!" Angel said, "She'd still be here if you hadn't shouted!"

Magneto looked up.

"Don't you dare tell me how to raise my daughter," he said.

Rage and pain laced his voice. Angel ducked her head, feeling guilty. Her memories of the drugstore gave way to other ones. Who was she to panic and raise her voice? Magneto was Lorna's father, and he loved her. Whatever Angel had felt about Lorna, whatever part she had played in raising her, it was nothing compared to her father.

Of course he was worried. He was just better at handling it than she was. It was why Lorna had always been able to lean on him. It was why she had probably been so badly hurt by thier fight. He would have been hurt too though.

She raised one of her hands to her eyes to wipe away her involuntary tears.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I'm just…I'm just worried."

She heard Magneto sigh.

"I know you are," he said.

Angel continued to look down.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

He sighed again and folded his hands. He stared at the table.

"I'll wait a few days. Then I'll send Emma after her. She can find her," Magneto said.

Angel paused.

"Emma?" she asked.

"It will be easy for Emma to track her," Magneto said, "As you said, she does care for Lorna and once she's here I can talk to her."

Angel shifted uncomfortably.

"Maybe…maybe we should ask the Professor where she is," Angel said.

Magneto shook his head.

"No," he said, "We've let the X-men in on far too many of our plans lately."

He rubbed his forehead, his voice burdened.

"I don't want them to have anything more to do with my daughter," he said.

* * *

Lorna leaned back and looked out the window. Alex was steering, and she could see the sun peeking up above the horizon. She knew she should say something, but she couldn't quite find the words. She had shown him Fall River on the map. Every now and then she had given him directions. She'd been there enough to do so.

"We should get there in about an hour," Alex said.

"Thank you," Lorna said.

Alex flashed her a quick grin.

"Hey, can't a guy give a pretty girl a ride?" he asked.

Lorna laughed despite herself.

"Oh really?" she asked, "Do this often?"

"Hell no," Alex said, "This is a Westchester vehicle you know."

"You don't own your own car?" Lorna asked.

Alex shrugged.

"Why own a car when you can own a motorcycle?" he said.

"I should've known," Lorna said.

"Yeah, you should have," Alex said, "Seriously, you have to try motorcycles sometime."

"Last time I tried a motorcycle I got into a bit of an accident where the driver nearly died," Lorna said, "I think that I'll pass."

Alex laughed.

"Well, try not to get into so many high-speed chases, and maybe next time it won't happen," he said, "And I didn't nearly die."

"Those just seem to kind of happen around you," Lorna said, "And yes, you did."

He smirked and turned a corner.

"We'll agree to disagree. And as for accidents?" he said, "It's who I am."

"You're just a mess," Lorna said.

"You can say that again."

"I will," Lorna said, "You're just a mess."

"Well that's childish," Alex said.

"Says the man who doesn't own a car," Lorna said.

"What's with the car?" Alex said.

Lorna smiled and looked over at him. She could see his smirking profile, the lines of his face comfortable and happy. It was impossible not to acknowledge that she had missed him. She wanted to hear him talk, to share the easy conversation that, for some unfathomable reason, the two of them shared.

He was the one person who would be honest with her. Alex knew the turmoil that she was feeling, knew how lost she was in the world she had always called her home. He knew, and he was treating her, not as though everything was fine, but that everything could be fine. She wasn't a ticking time bomb to him. It made her feel more at ease than she had in months.

She remembered when they had first met, the arguments that they'd had. Alex had gone from despising her and telling her that she was wrong, to respecting her and telling her that she was wrong. Lorna remembered the two of them trying to convince each other who was right in the end.

She hadn't thought that he was right, but now she knew that he was. It was a hard pill to swallow. Lorna found herself looking at his collarbone, hidden under a brown shirt and blue jacket. She knew that there was a thick scar there, and she had to resist the urge to run her hand over the scar, remind herself of everything that had happened since she had met Alex.

He had changed everything for her. Lorna saw him turn his smirking eyes towards her and she felt her heart speed up.

"You need a car. You're like forty, aren't you?" Lorna said.

"Try twenty-seven," Alex said.

She smiled and looked back out the window. The sky was turning pink, orange, and gold. It reminded her of when she was younger, when her mother would get her up to get her ready for school. Lorna leaned back further into the seat, feeling the tension drain out of her as they drove through the back roads.

"Are we close?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Lorna said, "Just turn left at the fork in the road. It's a straight road from there."

Alex turned the car. The road became sheltered by tall trees, their branches almost forming a tunnel.

"So," Alex said, "what's in Fall River?"

Lorna hesitated, tapping her hands on the window. She breathed in. Why shouldn't she tell him? She'd told him everything else.

"It's where I grew up," she said.

She saw Alex pause.

"Not where I was born," she said, "I was actually born in Bridgeport. My mom managed to get a boat ticket in time to get me to the states for my birth. She was an American citizen, but it wasn't easy."

Lorna shrugged.

"I was born about a month after she got there," Lorna said, "She found a job in Fall River from a newspaper ad and a phone interview, and moved down there as soon as we could both travel."

"Oh," Alex said.

He turned around another bend.

"Is anyone going to recognize you?" he asked, "I can run interference-"

Lorna laughed, but it was a mirthless sound. Alex stopped, his expression puzzled.

"No, no one will recognize me," Lorna said, "Fall River's in pieces. None of the buildings are safe."

She tried to remember what it had looked like when she visited last time.

"I think it's got caution tape around it, maybe a wooden barricade or two that'll crumble at the touch," she said, "No one's been there in years."

Alex took his eyes off the road so he could look at her.

"What happened?" he asked.

She looked at him, meeting his eyes.

"Me," she said.


	12. Chapter 12

March 30, 1975

Lorna picked her way through the main street, Alex close beside her. The buildings were crumbling. He could see where the forest was starting to reclaim lost territory. There were cracks in the concrete where grass was starting to grow up again. Moss grew on the sidewalks, and trees were in need of a pruning. There were a few cars left in the streets, twisted and rusting. Alex knew that cars didn't get that way from a car crash.

Street lights had also crunched inwards, some plunging into the sidewalk. Alex noted where manhole covers had flown off and metal signs had twisted around themselves. Even metal frames for windows were crunched inwards.

He looked at Lorna. She had a soft expression on her face. He had never seen her with that expression before. He'd been surprised when she'd tentatively invited him to come with her. Alex had asked her if she'd been sure she wanted him with her. He didn't know exactly what had happened in Fall River after all.

She'd just laughed, looking sad.

"You've come this far," she said.

"Yeah, but-" Alex had said.

"Look, I've never been back alone," Lorna said, her voice strained, "It's probably not a good idea for me to try it out."

So he walked next to her through the crumbling town. She pointed to a small drugstore a few blocks down.

"My mom got her paychecks once a month," Lorna said, "And every month she would take me to the drugstore and let me pick out one candy bar. Anything I wanted. It was my special treat."

She walked up to the drugstore and ran her hand against the doorframe. Alex could see that the window had been smashed open. Inside there were dusty shelves and a lunch counter. There were a few things still on the shelves and Alex could see a few glasses that had been left on the counter.

Whatever had happened, it had caused people to leave fast. Lorna's ominous words had yet to be explained, but Alex knew that he couldn't push her. She leaned against the doorframe.

"My mom was special like that," she said.

He nodded, although he felt hesitant about the situation. Back when he hadn't known Lorna he'd discussed her presence with Sean and Hank. They had all figured out that her mother had been human: Magneto had told Charles that he hadn't known any mutants before Charles. He also would have mentioned Lorna if he'd known about her. Back then there hadn't been any reason to hide things.

Alex had always figured that Lorna's mother had done something to make her hate her. Why else would she join Magneto's crusade against humanity? Once he had met Lorna the thought had been put on the backburner in consideration of other, more pressing concerns. Now he wondered if the truth was more complicated.

Still, he had the feeling that she would tell him in her own time.

"My mom used to do stuff like that for Cyclops and me," he said, "Little things that let us know she was paying attention."

Lorna smiled.

"Yeah," she said.

She crossed her arms, letting her full weight lean against the doorframe.

"Tell me something good from your childhood," she said.

Alex managed a faulty grin.

"I'm not sure-" he said.

"Come on," she said, "Share."

Alex sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Alright," he said, "I grew up in Juno. Alaska. There's a lot of water, a lot of trees, and not that much else. So…"

He smiled at the memory.

"So we talked my Dad into building us a tree house," he said, "Well, I did all the talking, my brother was pretty little. He said that I was really helping him when we built it, but I think I was more of a nuisance than anything."

Lorna continued to smile at him and Alex closed his eyes for a moment.

"I still remember that rickety old tree house," he said, "Spent a lot of nights up there camping with my brother."

He opened his eyes. Lorna had detached herself from the doorframe.

"What happened to it?" she asked.

The question made Alex pause. He had never thought much about anything of his childhood in Alaska surviving.

"It's probably still there," he said, "Unless whoever bought the house after us decided to be a dick and tear it down."

"You don't know?" Lorna asked.

"I never went back," Alex said, "I just…never saw a need to after my parents died. I didn't have control of my life for a couple of years, and then the Professor took me in. Westchester became my home."

Lorna nodded in understanding. She tapped the doorframe of the drugstore.

"To be honest, I wouldn't have come back if I didn't have to," Lorna said.

"Why did you have to?" Alex said.

Lorna let go of the doorframe. She glanced at the drugstore over her shoulder.

"You know this is where I met Angel?" she said.

"Really?" Alex said.

She nodded and continued walking. Alex fell into step alongside her. He knew she had dodged the question, but he knew there must be a reason for that.

"She was undercover spying on some military official or other," she said, "He liked to vacation up here. She worked at the drugstore for a bit as part of her cover."

She made a gesture with her hand.

"Something like that," she said.

Lorna looked further up the street.

"I used to run down the street when school let out," she said, "Just like all the other kids. On the last day of the school it was like a marathon."

"How far did you get before you collapsed from exhaustion?" he asked.

"Pretty far," Lorna said, "I can run fast."

"I've seen that," Alex said.

She smiled and pointed to a large brick building.

"That was the library," she said, "I was too young for a library card, so I had to use my mother's. I would go there after school and wait until she was off her shift. I read a lot of books that way."

"Did you put them back in their places?" he asked.

She grinned.

"Mrs. Thomas, the librarian, said I was her little helper," Lorna said.

Her face suddenly closed off.

"It didn't matter to her when it came to it though," she said.

"What?" Alex asked.

Lorna paused and then sighed.

"Nothing," she said.

"Nothing?" Alex asked.

Lorna bit her lip.

"Alex, a lot of things happened in this town," she said, "And a lot of the good memories of my first eleven years here are tainted by my last few days."

He shifted, feeling uncomfortable and awkward. He'd always let Charles handle it when students needed to talk. Now he wished that he'd paid more attention.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Lorna didn't answer. He ached, wishing he could help. He swallowed and reached out for her shoulder. She didn't stiffen this time.

"Listen, we're both closed off people," Alex said, "We're not the kind to share what we're feeling, to tell people if something's wrong. Because we always know that we can handle it."

She didn't look at him. He wished she would.

"But…sometimes we can't," Alex said.

He thought of Sean, of the way that his friend had tried to reach out to him and he'd brushed him off. Alex could only sigh: he'd have to apologize soon.

"You let me come with you for a reason Lorna," he said, "And I think that you want to tell me, or you want to tell someone."

He looked around at the ruin of the town.

"You came here looking for answers to some question or another," Alex said, "Maybe I can help you."

She turned to him then, her face tired and defeated. He hated seeing that look in her eyes and he felt a burning hatred towards Magneto. He was the one who'd put it there. As he watched he saw a flicker of the familiar light that had drawn him in. She swallowed and looked at the rest of the town.

"Come on," Lorna said, "They should be in bloom by now."

Alex took his hand off her shoulder as she walked forwards. He followed her as she turned into a meadow. Yellow flowers covered the meadow, reaching towards the sky. A slight breeze made them waver. In the distance he saw a rusted playground next to a rundown school, more ruins of Lorna's childhood.

She knelt down and fingered a stalk of the flowers.

"Forsythia," she said, "They bloom in March: someone planted a lot here before I was born. They're just a wildflower, not even native to Connecticut I think, nothing fancy, but they're quite pretty in their own right."

She reached out and began to gather the flowers. Alex knelt down too and began to help her. After a moment Lorna straightened. He followed and she took his flowers from him. She walked back to the main road. He saw her take a ribbon out of her pocket and she started to put the flowers into a kind of a bouquet.

"I want to start by saying that I thought this town was a good place," Lorna said, "My mom came in here as an unmarried, teenage mother. She had to work all sorts of bad hours. We weren't rich, but we had a little put by for an emergency. By the time I was old enough to remember most people had gotten over their prejudices though."

She moved some of the flowers.

"Most of them anyway," she said, "Now that I'm older I remember that there were a few times when I heard people say something or give her a look. I just understand them now."

Lorna began wrapping the flowers with the ribbon, still moving. Alex noticed that they were moving away from the main street, towards the residential areas.

"It wasn't a bad life," she said.

Her voice vacillated between a whisper and a level tone. Alex knew she was struggling.

"But one day we were heading towards the drugstore to get that candy bar I told you about. That and some other things," she said, "And there was this car. It was careening out of control, speeding towards me and my mom. There was no time to move, so she just covered me and braced for impact."

They moved past the nicer houses, towards ones that were ramshackle and run down. Alex could see mailboxes that had gone through windows and bikes that had been twisted. He saw charred wood and other signs that a fire had swept through the area. Lorna stared straight ahead.

"Mutants manifest their powers around puberty, or so I'm told," Lorna said, "Times of extreme stress are supposed to help with that."

"I've heard that too," Alex said.

She fingered the blossoms.

"I pushed the car away from my mom and me," she said, "It was so simple, even if it left me exhausted afterwards. I went overboard: a few street lamps went hay wire and some street signs went flying. My hair turned green on the spot. All in front of a crowded street."

Her voice became choked and her step faltered. Alex hurried to her side, but she shook her head when he reached for her.

"I'm fine," she said.

Alex didn't believe her, but once again he didn't want to push it.

"Immediately after it happened people started talking and staring. My mom picked me up and took me home," Lorna said, "I was scared, but my mom told me that everything was going to be alright. And I think she really thought that, until she went back into the town to get some groceries. She had me stay at the house for a bit, and whatever she saw in town convinced her that no, it wouldn't be alright."

Lorna shook her head.

"I did something to this town," she said, "The presence of the first mutant they had ever seen flipped some sort of switch inside them, made them scared. Everyone except my mother."

She closed her eyes and stopped before opening them and continuing walking.

"When she came home she began packing, knew that she was worried," Lorna said, "It was too late though."

They walked up to a skeleton of a house, blackened from fire. Alex could feel something like anger and sadness pressing in on him. The ground was covered with soot and Alex could see a broken fence. Lorna ran her hand alongside what remained of the fence as she walked around the house.

"I told you once that someone decided that I was more precious than they were," Lorna said, "And because of that, I lost them."

She let go of the fence and continued walking. Alex followed her. Beneath a small group of trees he saw a grassy hillock covered in wild flowers. A small marker marked the place and Alex clenched his hand into a fist. Lorna knelt in front of the hillock and placed the forsythia bouquet there, moving an older one out of the way.

"She told me to run, that she'd distract them and catch up with me. While she pleaded with the people who came to my house with guns and club I ran into the woods as fast as I could go," Lorna said, "My mother wouldn't bring me out, went back into the house. I think she tried to go out the back. But they thought I was inside, so they set the place on fire."

Alex looked away.

"I saw the smoke from where I was, and I kept running," Lorna said, her voice distant, "Because she said she'd catch up with me. I could hear them coming after me though, knew it was going to end."

Her voice trailed off.

"And then?" Alex managed.

She smiled sadly.

"And then my father came," she said.


	13. Chapter 13

March 30, 1975

Erik tapped his hands on the table, feeling the stress build up in his temples. Lorna had left without so much as a word to him. The last thing he had said to her was that he was ashamed of her. He remembered the hurt look on her face, but he had been angry. He'd wanted her to understand just how angry he was.

However, he wondered if he hadn't been too harsh. She wasn't just a soldier fighting for him, but she was also his daughter. The other members of the Brotherhood had met his anger for failed missions, so Lorna had been aware of how angry he could get. He'd had to tell her that sometimes he had to be hard on his soldiers so they understood what he wanted. Lorna had always said that she'd understood.

He wondered if she had though. Erik had never raised his voice to Lorna. Then again, she had never bungled a mission. She had always worked hard and thrown herself into everything that she did. He'd spoken to her sharply in the past when he felt she was out of line, but not shouted. Lorna had been much too precious to shout at. When she was little he thought that he could never get angry at her, the way that she had looked at him so trustingly.

Ever since Angel had sent out her distress call he'd held Lorna's life in his hands. They had managed to get pagers for all of the members of the Brotherhood who were out on missions. He had been on a mission in Mansfield, and he'd come down immediately. Angel's normal appearance was conducive to spying missions, but her mutations weren't particularly good for combat situations.

He knew she could defend herself under normal situations though. So when she paged him the agreed distress call he hurried down. Angel told him later that she'd overheard people talking about rumors of a mutant in town. She'd thought they meant her and, unable to get out of town without attracting notice, she had signaled for him.

They learned later that she had misunderstood. It was lucky that she had and sent the call out. He'd followed the crowds and seen the burning house. Erik had known that there was trouble afoot. It was a feeling that had been confirmed when he saw Angel walking out, supporting a young woman who, even at a distance, he could see was badly burnt.

The crowd put their weapons into place and he had immediately flown into action. Guns fell apart and crowbars flew out of hands. He sent them crashing around the crowd, dragging people away by their buttons and belt buckles. Erik slammed them into the ground even as others scrambled to get away.

As they dispersed he walked up to Angel. He saw her grateful eyes staring at him, and he was just getting ready to hear what happened when he heard a small, raspy voice.

"Erik?"

His blood had frozen as he looked over at the woman that Angel was helping. Even though the fire had damaged her face and limbs he'd recognized Susanna. He remembered the young girl he'd met at the convalescent home. Her own parents had been doctors who had died in one of the last bombings of the war.

For four years they'd been in the same convalescent home. She had been persistent in seeking his friendship, and that had turned into something else. For the first time he had wondered if maybe there was something more to life than the hate he carried with him over what had happened in the camps.

Then he'd heard that there was a rumor that one of Shaw's associates was in Paris. Erik had just turned eighteen and been let out of the home. He'd regretfully given Susanna his farewells and begun his quest. Erik wasn't heartless, but he knew that she wouldn't understand. She was too gentle, and while that was why he had been attracted to her in the first place, he also knew it was why she couldn't come with him.

He'd thought of her a few times since then, mostly when he realized what it was that his relationship with Mystique had lacked. He'd been guilty that he didn't feel for her what he knew she felt for him. Erik didn't have any good reason to end their relationship, except for the fact that he didn't have any reason to continue it.

With Susanna things had been different. He never thought of her wistfully: she was just a good part of his past, one of the few, and a good memory. When he did think of her Erik had hoped that she'd married one of her admirers and moved on to a normal life. He figured he would never see her again, and he had made peace with that. It was just the way that it had to be. She couldn't come with him to quest for Shaw, and she couldn't come with him on his crusade against humanity, although the reasons were different.

The last thing that he had expected was to see her badly burnt and wheezing out his name.

"Susanna?" he'd managed.

She had smiled slightly, her eyes glazing over from pain. Angel had looked between the two of them before setting her face.

"We need to get her to a hospital," Angel said.

Erik had nodded, all thoughts of explanations forgotten. He'd moved forward and gathered Susanna up in his arms. For the first time he'd seen the extent of her injuries. She'd moaned when she'd moved and he'd tried to be gentle. There wasn't much else he could do until he got her to a medical facility.

"I'm going to take care of you," he said.

Susanna's eyes had rolled back.

"No…Lorna…please…she's alone…"

He'd looked over at Angel, wondering why Susanna was talking about his mother. Instead Angel had given him a different answer.

"Lorna's her daughter," she said, "She's the mutant."

He'd looked down at Susanna as they'd made their way through the streets, Angle speaking soothingly.

"It's alright, they didn't get her," Angel had said.

She'd continued to reassure her as they got to the only clinic in town. They'd managed to intimidate the local doctors into giving her treatment. Angel had been more menacing than he'd ever seen her that night, something fierce awakened in her by Susanna's situation. The doctors had begun their work and Angel had filled Erik in on what she had gleaned from the crowds.

She had seemed nervous. He couldn't blame her: on the outside she had just put her mission in jeopardy to help a human. However, a mutant was involved, and the human was Susanna. After hearing about what had happened with the car, he'd had his suspicions about Lorna. When Susanna had woken up, partially drugged and still in pain, he'd sat by her.

"You're still here," she'd said.

He'd reached out and touched her hand.

"I am," he said.

She managed a smile, but she seemed confused.

"I thought I'd imagined you…" she'd said.

His heart had ached.

"Susanna…" he'd started.

She just rolled her head in his direction, smiling the gentle smile that he remembered, marred by the blackened flesh of her face.

"It's alright Erik," she'd said, "Don't feel guilty…"

Her eyes had widened.

"Where's Lorna?" she'd asked, "Is she still out there?"

"Yes," he'd admitted.

Her eyes had filled with tears.

"You have to find her," she said, "She's so perfect…I always wanted to show you her…"

His eyes had widened.

"Susanna, is Lorna…?" he'd asked.

"Yes. I tried...I couldn't find you..."

He'd stared at her and Susanna had just continued smiling, the drugs and pain making her words vague. Confusion and desperation swirled in his head, but he had something to do now.

"She's so perfect," Susanna said.

He had stared at her for a moment more before he gripped her hand and kissed the back of it. He could feel his old love for her stirring inside of him. She had given him a child and protected them all these years, loved them and him despite him leaving. It was more than he could have asked for.

Now that child needed him.

"I'll find her," he said.

She'd smiled and he'd released her hand. He'd run into Angel on the way out. She'd stopped him, her face anguished.

"The doctors don't think she has much time," Angel had said, "They say she's been hurt too badly, I didn't understand everything, but they told me that there's no time to move her."

His throat had clogged and he'd looked back at the hospital room, seeing Susanna's pale and burnt form. It was only a matter of waiting now. He'd turned back to Angel.

"I'm going to find Lorna," he said.

Erik still couldn't quite believe that he had a daughter. Angel had given him a strange look. Maybe she knew.

"Magneto-" she'd started.

He'd swept past her. When he went out into the street he heard people discussing rumors that some people had gone into the woods after seeing the demon child head in that direction. It was a good start, and he'd taken off in that direction. He heard people wandering around, seen their flashlights sweep in wide arcs, but no one had found her.

Then he'd heard shouts. Erik had hurried over, but by the time he'd gotten there Lorna had already been hurt. She was on the ground, curled up behind a vale of her green hair and crying. Her sundress was covered in mud and she looked as though she'd been hit. As he watched a heavy boot kicked her in the face. She'd pushed back, looking up through tears and mud.

All he'd seen was red. All of the men in the woods had foolishly gone in with metal. Lorna had been too scared and confused to use her powers, but he hadn't. In seconds he'd pulled the men away from her. Some had been thrown into trees, but the one he'd seen kick her had his buttons turn in on him. Erik walked past him as he coughed up his blood, his lungs punctured.

Lorna had looked up, her green eyes frightened. For a moment he stared at her, his own flesh and blood looking back at him. Struggling to control his feelings Erik had knelt down and held his hand out to her.

"It's alright," he'd said, his voice soft, "I'm here to help you. I'm going to take you back to your mother."

She'd looked at him a moment longer before grasping his hand. He'd picked her up and taken her back to the small hospital, her trust making his heart heavy. Susanna had been gasping out her last breaths when Lorna, filthy and bruised, had run into the room. She'd started crying again, clasping her mother's hand. Susanna's eyes had lit up.

"You're alright," she'd said.

"That man saved me mama," Lorna had said.

Her mother had smiled wider. Susanna had turned her head to Erik, gratitude and love shining there.

"Lorna, he's your father," she'd said, "I told you…he'd love you…"

Lorna had turned to him and, for a moment, she just stared. Then she looked back to her mother, still looking shocked.

"Erik," Susanna had murmured, "Please take care of her…"

Erik had looked at her, looked at the muddy, scared girl who was his daughter. He knew Angel was watching, could feel his own heart in his throat, the pain and rage building there.

"I will," he said.

Susanna smiled for the last time, the smile freezing on her face. Lorna had screamed and clutched her mother's hand tighter. Erik walked up and put his arm around her. With his spare hand he closed Susanna's eyes. His own feelings had bubbled up inside him while his daughter clung to him and cried. He couldn't cry though. Not in front of Lorna.

When Lorna had fallen asleep, exhausted, he'd wrapped her in a blanket. Erik picked her up, searching her face for signs of himself and Susanna. He found plenty of them. He'd turned to see Angel watching him.

"You loved her, didn't you?" she'd asked, "Susanna."

"Yes," he'd said.

"When?" Angel had asked.

Erik wondered if he should answer, but Angel had just sighed.

"Dumb question," Angel had said, "Eleven years or so."

Erik had nodded and Angle looked at Lorna.

"I should hate you," she'd said, "I'm Mystique's friend."

Erik had simply cocked his head.

"Do you?" he'd asked.

"No," Angel had said.

She brushed some stray hair out of Lorna's face.

"I understand," she'd said.

"Good," Erik had said, reluctantly handing her Lorna, "Take her out of town for a while. There's something I have to do."

Angel hadn't asked him what it was that he needed to do, just nodded. He'd been grateful for that. Erik waited until they were gone before he walked out into the streets of the town. He needed them safely out of the town's limits.

Erik had looked around. He felt the metal thrumming in its streets and lamp posts, in the frames of its houses. Erik reached out further and felt the appliances, the metal of the people who had killed the woman he'd loved and tried to kill his daughter. Any one of them could have stood up to the mob, could have tried to help Susanna and Lorna, could have called the police, could have done something. They hadn't though, and now Susanna was dead.

The metal began twisting. He didn't have to try very hard. Suddenly the town began tearing itself apart. People ran from their houses as the street turned up and roofs collapsed. He screamed out his anger at seeing Susanna only to have her taken from him, the knowledge that Lorna would grow up without a mother.

In an hour the town was destroyed and most of its people were gone, dead or fled. It didn't matter. The only building he'd left untouched was the hospital: Susanna's body was there. After an hour Angel returned with Lorna. When she had he'd found clean clothes for her. Together they'd buried Susanna a few hundred yards from the house that she had received her injuries in. Lorna had cried and clung to him again, needing him more than anything.

He closed his eyes. She wasn't that little girl anymore. She was a soldier in a war that had already claimed her mother. He had protected her for so long, had kept secrets from her. It was time to start treating her as an adult. She would come around to his way of thinking again. She couldn't have forgotten what had happened to her mother.


	14. Chapter 14

March 30, 1975

Lorna could feel Alex's eyes on her. She didn't look, so she wasn't sure if he was looking at her with pity, horror, or sympathy. She supposed it was sympathy. He'd lost his own parents when he was young. Maybe he could understand. However, that had been an accident. It could have happened to anyone. Lorna had lost her mother because her genes had given her green hair and the ability to manipulate metal.

She fingered the forsythia blossoms.

"You know, I always knew that humans aren't all bad. But two years ago, I wouldn't have given them much thought in the grand scheme of things," she said, "Now I've figured out ways to do crowd control."

She laughed, although it came out as more of a sob.

"I came here to remind myself why I should hate humans," Lorna said, "Why I shouldn't trust them. I thought I could remember why I followed everything my father said."

Lorna leaned back.

"But all this place reminds me of is that my mother was murdered by cruel, stupid people," Lorna said, "And, maybe, if they hadn't been so stupid, things would have been different. If someone had helped them through their panic, then she might still be alive. This wouldn't have had to happen."

She gestured around them.

"For a long time I thought that this was justice, what my father did here," Lorna said, "I never thought about it when I got older. Now, looking back, I wonder if it was any different from what Mystique did to Black Tom."

She thought of the woods, of the way she had cried for her mother when they had hit and kicked her. Lorna could remember her mother yelling at her to run, the way they had lit her house on fire. The rest of the town had stood by and done nothing, cruelty and stupidity never stronger than when people thought they were protecting themselves.

Her mother, her gentle mother who had never condoned violence, had died because of that stupidity. Lorna felt tears in her eyes. She thought of fighting soldiers, of the knives Azazel had given her. She thought of the coat in her backpack in Alex's car, the coat that proclaimed herself Magnetrix. What would her mother think of her now?

"But…what they both did was in the moment, caused by grief," Lorna said, "I don't think that either of them would have done it if they weren't so upset. It doesn't make it right, but I know that they didn't mean it. The difference between my father and Mystique is that I know my father wouldn't do it again."

Alex didn't respond. Lorna didn't turn to see his expression.

"I know what you're thinking, but he's still a good man," Lorna said.

She was happy that Alex still didn't respond, but she still knew what he was thinking.

"Either way the town's gone now," Lorna said, "Everyone left. The only one who's still here is my mother."

She pushed her hair away from her eyes.

"I'm a freak Alex," Lorna said.

"You're not-" he tried.

"We both know that's not true," Lorna said, "I'm a Brotherhood member who holds X-men beliefs. I don't belong in either world."

She shook her head.

"Not anymore."

"Lorna, I told you that our door is open," Alex said.

She heard the pleading note in his voice.

"Don't be stupid Alex," Lorna said, "I can't go to Westchester. I don't even know if I would want to. That's the problem."

He knelt next to her and she felt his hand on her shoulder. Lorna's breath caught.

"I can't go home either," she said, "Not yet anyway. Not feeling like this. Not knowing what they did, knowing that they refuse to change for anyone. My father won't even listen to me."

Lorna sighed.

"I suppose you can say I-told-you-so now," Lorna said.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Alex said.

"No, you wouldn't," Lorna said.

She dug her fingers into the dirt.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way," Lorna said.

"It doesn't have to be any way," Alex said.

"There's no other way," Lorna said, "Believe me, I've had time to think."

She looked back at him. His expression was sympathetic. He was trying to understand, and for that Lorna could only feel relief. No one else had tried.

"And you're still wrong: there's nothing wrong with you," he said.

Lorna dug her hands deeper into the ground, feeling the dirt embed itself beneath her fingernails.

"You would say that, wouldn't you?" Lorna said.

"Because it's true," Alex said.

She shook her head.

"No," she said, "I don't…I don't…"

Lorna bit her lip, feeling the tears in her eyes. She knew she shouldn't cry, but it was Alex. She could cry in front of him.

"I'm not Magnetrix right now," she said, "I don't think I'm anyone really."

Alex stared at her.

"You can't think that."

The tears built up in her eyes and spilled over. Alex understood, because he pulled her to his chest and she let herself cry for the first time in days. She could feel that there wasn't any judgment with Alex, that he only wanted to help. It felt safe to cry in his arms, to give in with the depression that had come with her confusion.

He was warm, as warm as she remembered from the night that he kissed her. It felt good to be there, to have him be next to her at her mother's grave. Her mother would have liked Alex, would have liked what he stood for. She hadn't known what her father was doing. Lorna wondered if she would have still asked him to take care of her if she had.

One of Alex's hands rested behind her head. When he spoke, his voice was hardly above a murmur.

"For a long time, the only identity I gave myself was that of a good son and a good brother," Alex said, "And when my parents died, and I thought my brother died, I saw no point in being anyone at all."

She stopped crying, just taking shallow breaths and listening.

"At thirteen I'd been booked by the police," Alex said, "By the time I was fifteen I was tried as an adult and put into jail. I got myself into solitary confinement as much as possible, because even then I didn't want to be around people."

Lorna looked up at him. He cupped her face in his hands.

"I thought I wasn't anyone," he said, "But I was someone: I just lost my way. And that's all that's happened."

She breathed in.

"You know who you are," he said, "You just need to find your way."

Lorna looked at his eyes. She felt herself falling somewhere, the tears making her vision glossy. Lorna tightened her grip on him. She realized that she was in love with him, and the thought made her want to keep crying. How could she not love him after everything that they had been through? It had been on the edge of her consciousness for months, almost coming to the forefront of her mind when they kissed, but she had never dared to think about it.

Now she couldn't help it. Lorna had never felt this way before, and now she felt it in the arms of a man who, until recently, had been her enemy. No matter how this ended, she knew that she would never be able to forget what she was feeling. She was in love with Alex, and she would carry that with her.

It was too late to go back on that score. She could only decide how to proceed, and her options were limited. With a shuddering breath she pulled herself away from him and wiped her eyes. Lorna couldn't make things worse than they already were. She didn't know if Alex understood, or if he just thought she needed her space, because he let her go.

Lorna looked back at her mother's grave. Her father had cried the day that they had buried her. Lorna had seen this as a confirmation of his love for her mother, and of the fact that he was her father. She'd always believed that life had torn her mother and father apart, but that had been when she had believed her father was perfect. Now she knew that the wrong decision at the right time could ruin lives.

Even so, she couldn't rush into this decision. Lorna knew what admitting to loving him would mean. Her father would be furious, as would the rest of the Brotherhood. She wasn't naïve enough to think that they could have a relationship while on different teams. It would jeopardize too much.

Her thoughts on the Brotherhood were confused too though. She didn't even know if she wanted to be part of it anymore. Her father wasn't the man she thought he was. She still loved him, but he had been lying to her for her entire life. Everyone that she had come to depend on had shared those lies. Lorna had grown up surrounded by fear and hate, believing that they needed to fight to survive, that humans would destroy their fledgling species.

Lorna didn't believe that anymore, but the idea of leaving the Brotherhood was frightening. Even if they had lied to her, those people were her family. It was her father and the people who had trained her, her friends, everyone. She would have to leave them behind to pursue her own path.

She knew where that path would lead. Lorna wasn't the type to sit out of a situation. She had been trained to fight. If she left the Brotherhood than she would go the X-men. The idea of fighting her family made her want to scream. However, if she left the Brotherhood, it would be the only other option for her.

If they would take her. Despite Alex's proclamations she knew that she wouldn't be trusted. The rest of the X-men wouldn't like her, and she didn't know what she would do there. Fighting had been her whole life.

Alex would be there though, and she supposed that was something. She wouldn't be useful to the X-men though: just bring down more of her father's wrath on them. He would find a way to blame them for her leaving, she knew he would. They weren't really an option, no matter what Alex said.

"Do you need to be left alone?" Alex asked.

Lorna felt herself nod. Alex got up and she heard his footsteps behind her. Lorna turned and saw his back, the sight making her sad. She swallowed as he walked by her old house.

"Alex?" she called.

He turned. She swallowed again.

"Thank you," she said.

He grinned.

"Anytime," he said.

He went to lean nonchalantly against the side of the house. Lorna saw the supporting beam give way before Alex began to stumble. What was left of the roof began to slide down as Alex fought to regain his balance. Lorna felt herself on her feet and running, her lungs burning. She'd already lost one person she loved to that house: she wasn't about to lose another.

Lorna pushed him out of the way just as the roof slide down. She felt it come down on her foot and she cried out in pain. Alex was immediately by her side, ripping the debris off. Lorna saw stars as he picked her up, moving her away from the wreck of the house. He set her down on the ground and began to look at her foot.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking," he said, gently removing her shoe.

"How come I always have to save you?" Lorna said.

He looked up and Lorna laughed. Somehow the situation left her feeling giddy. When Alex took off her shoe and she saw the black and blue mass that was her foot she stopped. Alex winced and began prodding it gently. Lorna cried out and Alex withdrew. He broke off a piece of the fence and ripped off his coat jacket.

"I need to splint it. It's broken in at least two places," he said, "We're going to need an X-ray for this. I don't know if there's any muscle damage."

Lorna took a shaky breath.

"None of the hospitals around here have that kind of equipment," she said, "That much I remember. They're all far too small."

Alex looked up, his expression determined. Her heart sank.

"Alex, no," she said, "You can't take me there!"

"I need to," Alex said, "I did this, I need to make this right."

He picked her up. Lorna shook her head and started to push him away.

"Alex please," she said, "I can't go there!"

"Don't let your pride get in the way of getting treatment!" he said.

"It's not my pride!" Lorna said.

"It'll be fine…your father will understand," Alex said.

His voice was reluctant. Lorna shook her head.

"Alex-" she said.

"You could lose your foot otherwise," Alex said, "Please, let me fix this."

Lorna turned away, keeping in her tears of frustration. It looked like she would be going to Westchester after all.


	15. Chapter 15

March 30, 1975

Calvin liked Westchester. He liked the fact that the fences around the school were far away and didn't tower above him. He liked the fact that there was always hot running water, food on the table, and a place to sleep at the end of the day. More than anything, he liked the fact that no one demanded anything of him.

He knew it was early to judge. He'd only been at the school for a few days. After his first night in the guest room the Professor's wife had asked if he was alright with having a roommate. He'd wanted to laugh. Calvin had shared a room with five other gang members in the condemned building that they had made their home. What was one roommate?

His roommate's name was Scott. He'd seen the resemblance between Scott and Alex immediately, so it hadn't come as a surprise to him when Scott had introduced himself as Alex's brother. Calvin quickly found out that Scott was one of the more popular kids at school, the group of friends he kept around him comprising the head of most of its committees.

Calvin vaguely remembered people like him from his old school, teens who tried to get involved. At first he'd made him nervous, but Scott had an easy air that his brother lacked. He supposed that, for whatever reason, Alex and Scott had been raised differently. Calvin was curious as to why that had been, but he was determined to get off on the right foot at the school. He had been given his second chance, and he wasn't going to screw it up by asking a question like that.

Calvin figured the Professor's wife had given Scott a summary of Calvin's background, since Scott seemed to know all about him. He made an effort to talk, and Calvin wondered if he was the kind of person he would be around now. Good people, people who were going to do something with their lives besides go to jail. Scott was going to be moving into the college program soon, just like Calvin was due to do. His lack of a proper education meant that he was going through several remedial classes, as well as a GED prep, first though.

His remedial science class was preying on his mind or, more specifically, one of the teacher aides. He felt nervous about asking Scott about it, but Scott was the closest thing he had to a friend at the school. Calvin wasn't even sure how to go about these sorts of things, not now that he was in a completely different environment. He was trying to make a fresh start after all, and that meant he had to do that with everything in his life. It hadn't been working so well thus far, but he had to believe that he could do better.

Calvin waited until Scott came back from one of his clubs. He could tell that Scott was exhausted: he took extra physical training for some reason or another. Calvin was studying one of his textbooks when he came back in, and the two chatted about a few things. He waited for the right opportunity. Luckily it came fast.

"So, how are your classes?" Scott asked.

Calvin put down the textbook.

"Pretty good," Calvin said, "One of the aides in the remedial science class helped me out with some of the more complicated stuff."

"That's good," Scott said, "I know them. They're pretty smart."

Calvin sat up.

"Yeah. This one, she didn't look at me like I was an idiot for not knowing where to find boron on the periodic table," he said, "Know who I'm talking about? Bright hair?"

Scott grinned and took off his shoes before throwing them in his closet.

"Yeah, she's good like that," Scott said, "She wants to be a doctor."

He felt relieved. So Scott did know who he was talking about. It would make things easier. He tried to sound casual.

"So uh, do you know if she's, I don't know…" Calvin said, "with anyone?"

Scott paused by his closet.

"I know it's early to be thinking about things like that, I just got here," Calvin said, "But, once I was a little more settled in...just a thought. I haven't met anyone like that before."

Calvin saw Scott sigh before he closed the door.

"Yeah," Scott said, "She's my girlfriend."

Calvin winced, feeling like kicking himself in the forehead.

"Sorry," he said, "I didn't know."

He tried to sound as apologetic as possible, even if all he really felt was disappointment. Of course it would be like that: why would someone like her be available? More than that, of course she would be with someone like Scott. Calvin was trying to run before he could walk, and he should have known better.

"It's okay," Scott said, "She's hard not to like."

Calvin nodded. He flopped back on his bed.

"I shouldn't have said anything," he said, "It hasn't exactly been my lucky day. Not like the answer would have been different tomorrow..."

Scott frowned.

"What happened?" he asked.

Calvin sighed. He reached over to his bureau and picked up his first history test. No matter how many times he saw it, it still hurt.

"D minus," he said, "I actually studied for that one. Great start."

He winced at the tone in his voice. It was self-pitying. Scott looked over at him. His roommate sat on his own bed.

"Look, Calvin," he said, "Don't take this so hard."

"Hard to take it any other way," Calvin said.

"It's a rocky start, but that doesn't always mean much," he said, "Ororo had a hard time adjusting too."

"She wasn't like me," Calvin said.

"She used to be a thief," Scott said.

"That's where our similarities end," Calvin said.

He could almost hear Scott's frown deepening. Calvin wished he wasn't discussing this, but he knew Scott's type. He wanted to make things better. He could try.

"We're all mutants," Scott said.

"My mutation makes people uncomfortable," Calvin said, "And not just people. Other mutants."

He saw that Scott was watching him closely.

"Did something else happen today?" he asked.

Calvin pushed himself up.

"Nothing new. I just had someone ask for me to stay the hell away from their mutation," he said, "As they put it, they don't want it stolen."

He made a gesture with his hand.

"Did you tell anyone?" Scott asked.

"Why?" Calvin said, "I'm not a snitch, and I don't think it would have helped."

He shook his head.

"First mutant I ran into was a telepath," he said, "I think her name was Regan. She told me I was gonna make mutants hellishly uncomfortable, copying 'em and all. Guess she was right."

"You don't make me uncomfortable," Scott said.

Calvin gritted his teeth. Of course he would say that. Calvin looked at the open window where a branch swayed in the breeze. He looked at it for a while, concentrating. Light shot out from his eyes and severed a few leaves and twigs off it. He turned back to Scott, who was staring at him in surprise.

"How about now?" he asked.

Scott took a deep breath.

"Surprised and a little jealous that you can control it," Scott said, "But it's fleeting enough."

Calvin managed a smile.

"You're a good guy," he said.

"You talk like you're not," Scott said.

"Maybe it's because I'm not," Calvin said, "I'm just trying to turn things around, and I haven't had a lot of time for that."

Scott shook his head.

"My brother told me there are four types of people who get involved in crime," Scott said, "Assholes, people who are dumb and follow along, people who get in over their heads, and people who make a mistake and get stuck."

Scott inclined his head.

"I think you just got stuck, but you're not stuck anymore," Scott said, "There's nothing wrong with starting over."

Calvin ran his hand through his hair.

"People here have a lot of faith in people," he said.

"It's how we do things," Scott said.

Calvin looked over at his history test. It was just one test, and he had only been there a few days. He remembered his time spent locked up with a blindfold, wondering if everything was over before it began. If he could get over that, could be given that second chance that he had yearned for, then what was a test?

He got up and pinned it to the corkboard that hung over his desk. He stared at it for a moment more before looking at Scott.

"It's gonna be a B next time," he said.

He knew it wasn't aiming for the sky, but he knew he had to take things slow. Being ambitious wouldn't help.

"Right," Scott said, smiling.

Calvin tapped the test once more before turning to Scott completely and putting his hands in his pockets.

"And don't worry about you and Clarice," he said, "I'm not the type to go after another guy's girl."

Scott furrowed his brow.

"Wait, Clarice?" he said.

"Yeah," Calvin said.

Scott burst out laughing.

"What?" Calvin asked.

"I thought we were talking about Jean!" Scott said, "I didn't know Clarice was helping out with the science class now! I thought just Jean did that."

Calvin felt a smile spread across his face.

"Seriously?" he asked.

"Yeah. Sorry about that," Scott said, "But no, she's not seeing anyone."

"Great," Calvin said.

He looked back at the test, feeling even better.

"Screw that B, it's gonna be an A," he said.

Scott laughed again and Calvin joined in. Maybe he could do this after all. He leaned against the wall and looked down at the lawn. As he did he saw Alex coming across the lawn, helping someone walk. For a moment he only noted that Alex was back, until he took in the hair girl's color of the girl he was carrying.

"Hey, it's Magnetrix and Alex," he said.

Immediately Scott materialized by his side.

"What the hell is she doing with my brother?" he said.

His voice was harsh and sharp. Calvin looked at him with surprise.

"Is this that uncommon?" he asked.

"Yes, it is," Scott said.

Calvin leaned further out the window.

"It looks like she's injured or something," he said.

"Then she should be going to prison, not here," Scott said.

Calvin looked at him, wondering where all of Scott's venom had come from. He'd known that things at the Institute were a little out of the ordinary. How many Institutes had enemies that weren't related to the athletic department? He also knew that most schools didn't get into full-fledged fights when they went out to recruit.

He wasn't sure how much he wanted to know about that. He'd come to the school to get away from fighting, even if he knew that he was built for it. Still, it made him feel good that there were people who would defend the school if necessary. The fact that they had to defend it at all was just a fact of life. There would always be terrible people out there.

Magnetrix had struck him as being one of the good ones. Scott was glaring at her though and Calvin wondered what he was thinking.

"I need to get down there," Scott said.

He grabbed his shoes from his closet and started to put them on. Calvin watched Alex and Magnetrix's approach for a minute, remembering the night she had driven him to the Institute.

"Scott?" he said.

"Yeah?" Scott said.

"You said your brother said there were four types of people who get involved in crime," Calvin said.

"That's what he told me," he said.

Calvin glanced back out the window. Alex and Magnetrix were at the front door now.

"But, when people get stuck, sometimes they want to get out, but they can't," Calvin said.

Scott paused with his shoe and looked up at Calvin before resuming.

"You can always get out," he said.

"Not always," Calvin said.

"There's always a choice," Scott said, "You got out."

He finished with his shoes and hurried out. Calvin turned back to the window.

"Yeah," he said, even though he knew Scott was long gone, "But not by myself."


	16. Chapter 16

March 30, 1975

"Damn it!" Lorna said.

Annie winced as she wrapped another layer of plaster around Lorna's foot. She gave Alex a concerned expression, but Alex just nodded. He'd had a few aspirin in the car, but they had worn off a long time ago. Besides, that had just been aspirin. Even the painkillers that Annie had given Lorna weren't enough for the fact that her foot was just about shattered.

The x-ray had shown that much. Lorna's face had fallen when she'd seen it. It wasn't an injury that she could just shrug off, and Alex had the feeling that she was used to doing that. It was what he would have tried to do. He wanted to tell her that it was alright, that she'd be up in no time, but his medical expertise was limited to field first aide.

He'd known that it was bad on the way to the Institute though. It was why he hadn't been able to call Charles on the way there to tell him what was happening. Lorna's foot had begun swelling terribly, and he'd known that any time he stopped was time wasted. He'd had to carry her to the med bay, surprising Annie, who had just been finishing some paperwork. He'd been worried that she was going to get an infection and, as Annie had later told him, that had almost happened.

Almost immediately he'd felt Charles in his mind. Alex tried to keep concentrated. Charles wouldn't try to be invasive in his thoughts, but he knew that some things did filter through. Charles had once compared it to being shouted at. Sometimes you just couldn't block things out.

He didn't need him hearing what he felt about Lorna.

_Alex, Scott just told me you brought Magnetrix into the Institute. _

Alex had sighed. Of course Scott would be the one to notice.

_It's true_, he'd thought, _She got injured and there wasn't any other place to take her._

There was a pause.

_And you were with her…why?_

Alex felt like smacking himself in the face.

_It's difficult to explain. _

_ You're going to have to try_, Charles had thought.

He'd known that from the moment he'd helped Lorna back into the car. However, he felt weary. More than that, he needed time to figure something out.

_Can we do this in person?_ Alex had thought_, It's been a long night, and I already have a headache. _

He could almost hear Charles's sigh.

_Of course. I'll be down there once I find Sean. _

At least he'd bought himself some time. Either way though, he knew that he was going to be having a rather unpleasant conversation soon. There wasn't any way to get out of it though. He'd known that bringing her to the Institute had been stupid, but it had been the only thing he could think of

Lorna leaned back on the gurney, sighing. Alex knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help looking at her. He'd only ever seen her swathed in Kevlar and protective clothing, her father's colors bundled around her like armor. Now she was in a long-sleeved black t-shirt and worn jeans. He hadn't been able to see them underneath the trench coat she had worn on the way up.

It made her look normal, like he could take her hand and ask her to a movie. It was a foolish thought, but it wasn't the first time that he felt like a fool around her. From previous experience he knew that it wouldn't be the last time either.

Lorna tilted her head up so she was making eye contact with Annie.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I shouldn't have sworn."

"It's alright," Annie said, "This probably hurts pretty bad."

She finished with the cast and looked at Lorna.

"It's alright now," she said, "Or for the time being anyway. It shouldn't permanently cripple you. You got here just in time."

"Well, there's that," Lorna said.

She pulled herself up.

"Sorry to trouble you both further, but if you could call a taxi or drive me to the train station, then it'd be great," she said, "I'll be out of your hair after that."

Annie blinked and Alex gaped. She couldn't be thinking of leaving.

"I don't think you understand," Annie said, "Your foot is broken in three places and you've got some bad muscle damage. It's going to be months before you're back to full strength."

"I'm a fast healer," Lorna said, "If you give me some crutches then I think that I'll be able to manage as far as the train station."

Annie shook her head.

"No, you won't," she said, "You're going to be on crutches for at least six weeks, but I highly recommend you stay in bed for at least two."

"Then I'll rest up when I get to a hotel or something," Lorna said.

"That's not a good idea," Annie said, "You need medical care."

Lorna looked at her, her hands gripping the side of the table. Alex could see a slight swell of panic beneath her exterior.

"Look, I'm not trying to be difficult," she said, "But I really can't stay here for two weeks."

"More like six," Annie said.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do, but that's not going to happen," she said.

Alex coughed and moved next to Lorna. She looked up at him, her expression determined and, now, angry. He couldn't blame her, especially since it was so easy to pinpoint the reason for her ire. He'd been the one who'd insisted that she come to Westchester after all. Now he was trying to help keep her there.

"Neither of us are doctors," he said, "I'm inclined to side with Annie."

Annie smiled and Alex wanted to hit himself. It appeared that there wasn't a way to do the smart thing without Annie taking it the wrong way. He still needed to have that talk with her, and now that Lorna was here he wished he'd done it sooner. Lorna seemed not to have noticed though. She was still too angry.

"I can't stay here for that long," Lorna said, "I shouldn't even be here."

Annie's smile slipped and her expression turned suspicious. Alex knew that she had only a rudimentary knowledge of the X-men and what they did, they'd decided the less she knew the better, but she knew about the Brotherhood. She might not know who Lorna was, but she wasn't stupid. Alex could tell that she was starting to figure it out.

"It doesn't really look like we have much of a choice," Alex said.

Lorna glared at him. He put his hands up defensively as he heard footsteps from outside the room. Alex swallowed and he saw Lorna eye the door to the med bay in curiosity. He'd completely forgotten about Charles in the ensuing argument. Not only that, but he'd forgotten to tell Lorna he was coming.

Charles came into the room, the wheelchair pushed by Sean. Immediately Lorna ducked her head. Annie stepped back, pretending to do something with some of the medical equipment. Charles looked at Lorna, no doubt looking for a resemblance to his friend. Sean was looking at Alex, and Alex hated his expression.

"Magnetrix," Charles said.

"Sir," Lorna said.

Alex saw Charles furrow his brow at the tone. Alex felt confused too. Her tone was referential and respectful. What had Magneto been teaching his daughter?

"Now, now, none of that," Charles said, still looking slightly thrown-off, "Havok told me that you had an accident."

Lorna shot Alex a look before turning back to Charles.

"I was in New York on personal business," she said, "There was a car and I collapsed. Havok came over to help. I don't think he knew it was me until he got there, and he knew he couldn't take me to a normal hospital."

Alex had to admire how quickly she had come up with the story. He certainly hadn't come up with anything particularly good. At the same time it hurt to hear her call him Havok again. He knew why she had, they were no longer by themselves, but he missed his name on her lips.

"I see," Charles said, "We'll have to see about informing your father-"

"No!"

Charles drew back and Sean cocked his head. Lorna took a deep breath.

"No, that's not necessary," she said, "I was out on personal business. Nothing to do with the Brotherhood."

Charles shared a glance with Sean and then Alex.

"I'm afraid that I can't keep your presence here a secret," he said.

"Please," Lorna said, "I just…look, you can just send me on my way-"

"We most certainly can't!" Annie said, whipping around, "I just told you why you can't do that."

She turned to Charles.

"If she's moved too soon then she risks further damage," Annie said, "I'm not budging on this."

The only thing that Alex admired about Annie was strength as a healer. He was glad that it was in full throttle.

"I'll be fine," Lorna said.

Charles sighed.

"It appears that you need to stay here," he said, "Either that or we'll have to contact your father and have him collect you."

"Please don't," Lorna said.

Charles hesitated, folding his hands together.

"Magnetrix, is something wrong?"

She looked at the wall. He knew that she was struggling, even if he couldn't see it on her face. Alex wanted to reach out and touch her, comfort her, but they were no longer alone.

"No," she said, "I just…can't talk to my father right now. It's nothing to do with the X-men."

Her tone was brusque. Charles raised his eyebrows.

"I see," he said, "Then you'll stay here?"

Reluctantly Lorna nodded. Alex felt his heart soar.

"But I will try to convince you to contact your father," he said, "For now, rest. We'll discuss this more later."

Lorna nodded again, her face reluctant. Her eyes met Alex's briefly, and he could see anger there. He wanted to tell her that he hadn't meant to trap her, but the words got stuck in his throat. Besides, wasn't he glad that she had to stay? He had only wanted her to receive medical attention, but wasn't he happy with the outcome? It didn't make his feelings right, and he knew Lorna could, and probably should, be angry.

"Havok, Banshee," Charles said, "I need a word with the two of you out in the hall."

Alex gave Lorna one last look before stepping out into the hall. He closed the door behind him and faced Sean and Charles. Charles was rubbing his temples.

"Bringing her here was a poor idea," Charles said, "But I can't think of a better one in your situation. I trust your judgment Alex: you did the best you could."

"Guess it was one of those things where it sucked whatever you did," Sean said.

He gave Alex a pointed look.

"Regardless, she is here now," Charles said, "and we'll have to make the best of it. We'll have to take precautions so she stays away from the students."

Indignation welled inside him.

"With all due respect," Alex said, "I've worked with her. She won't hurt anyone. I wouldn't have brought her here if I thought she would, broken foot or not."

He also wouldn't have fallen in love with her.

"I understand that," Charles said, "But, one way or another, she could still be dangerous."

Alex took a deep breath. He saw Sean glance at him.

"She was Terry's best friend at the Brotherhood," Sean said, "She seems decent."

"As I said, I understand," Charles said, "But we have to take precautions nonetheless. Not many students feel very friendly towards the Brotherhood. It's as much for her protection as for theirs."

Alex started. He hadn't even thought of that.

"We're going to need to brief the X-men on the situation," Charles said, "I wish she would let us tell her father where she is. It would make matters easier."

Although Alex knew it wouldn't, he nodded.

"I have to go tell Moira about our new guest," he said.

Looking tired he wheeled to the end of the hall and got into the elevator. Once the elevator began to ascend Sean looked at Alex. His eyes said it all.

"What was I supposed to do?" Alex said, "Just leave her there?"

"Don't give me that," Sean said, "We both know why you did this."

Alex threw his hands into the air.

"Stop it," he said, "Just stop it."

"No, you're the one that needs to stop and think," Sean hissed.

"I made the right call. Charles trusts my judgment," Alex snapped, "I'm glad someone around here does."

Sean looked hurt, but his gaze was still unflinching. Alex wanted to apologize, but he could only feel frustration.

"He trusts your judgment because he doesn't think that it's been compromised," Sean said, "We both know otherwise."

Alex glared at the floor.

"Think about what you're doing," Sean said, "And never forget that I'm your friend Alex. I'm saying what I'm saying for your own good."

"Doesn't feel like it," Alex said.

"It didn't feel like it when you told me to come back to Westchester after Maeve died either," Sean said.

He turned and began walking down the hall. Sean looked over his shoulder.

"Just remember where your loyalty lies, and who's going to get hurt by this," he said, "Because I have the feeling that, no matter what, it's going to be you."


	17. Chapter 17

March 30, 1975

"She can't stay here," Moira said.

"I can't just throw her out," Charles said.

Moira shifted Kurt in her arms, biting back that yes, Charles could and should do just that. Whenever a Brotherhood member turned up on their doorstep it never meant anything good. Under normal circumstances she would have admitted that they should help her with her injury, but things weren't normal.

Magnetrix was Magneto's daughter. Moira would have been uneasy with having her there even if Magneto knew she was there. Now she was asking that they keep her injury and presence at the Institute quiet. If Magneto found out he'd be furious that they hadn't told him immediately. If Magnetrix returned to the Brotherhood and they caught wind of her injury, then they would blame them. There was no good outcome.

There were other, more pressing concerns though.

"We have to think of the children Charles," Moira said.

"I wouldn't let her stay here if I thought she would harm the students," Charles said, "I have both Sean and Alex's reassurances."

Moira felt like tearing her hair out. She knew that Sean would vouch for Magnetrix: she had protected his daughter during her time in the Brotherhood. Alex, however, dismayed her. She would have thought that he'd want anyone affiliated with the Brotherhood as far away from the Institute as possible. Instead he'd brought one of them straight to the school.

"I'm not talking about the students," Moira said.

She looked down at Kurt, who looked curiously back up at her with golden eyes. Charles wheeled next to her and put his hand over hers.

"Moira, I know Kurt makes things a little complicated," Charles said, "But if Raven comes for her son, then we both know what the right thing to do is."

Moira looked up at him, shocked.

"If his mother wants him back-" Charles said.

"I'm his mother," Moira said.

"Moira-"

"And you're his father," Moira said, "Don't forget that."

She got up, letting Charles's hand fall away from her. He looked hurt, but it wasn't anything in comparison to what she was feeling. She walked into the adjoining room and put Kurt into his crib. He pawed at the mobile once, his tail flicking involuntarily out. Moira gripped the edge of his crib's rails and tried to calm herself down.

She would need to be calm before she faced her husband again.

"Moira?"

His voice was plaintive. She took another breath before she turned around and walked out of the nursery. It had been used for David, and he'd been moved out when Kurt had arrived. His room was now two doors down from theirs. He'd been so excited about having a real room, and intrigued by the idea of sharing things with his new brother. Most of his old things fit Kurt. The only difference was that a hole had to be cut in the clothes for Kurt's tail.

Moira sat back down on their bed. Charles was looking at her, the hurt still on his face.

"I needed to put him down," she said, "I need both of my hands for this."

She reached out and wrapped her hands in his. He looked at her, confused.

"Charles," she said, "Mystique is never coming back for Kurt."

His eyes widened and he opened his mouth. Moira didn't stop.

"She would have said if she was. You know that," she said, "I know it hurts, but it's been six months."

Charles looked down. Moira rubbed the back of his hands with her thumbs.

"He's not your nephew anymore," Moira said, "He's your son. God knows that your sister and I have had our differences, but she gave him to us because she knew we'd do right by him. And part of that means accepting he's your son now."

Charles didn't say anything and Moira bit the inside of her cheek. She knew that his faith in his friend and sister was, for whatever reason, still strong within him. It had endured much over the years, and she knew that each time it eroded a little more of the light inside him died. Accepting that his sister had abandoned her son on their doorstep meant that that faith would endure another blow.

It made Moira hate Mystique and Magneto all the more. She hated seeing him in pain over something that defined him. Moira would have lied if she could, but she didn't have the luxury. There was a baby in the other room depending on them.

"I need more time," he whispered.

Moira nodded.

"I understand that," she said, "But Charles, if Magnetrix goes back to the Brotherhood and tells someone about Kurt, then I'm…"

It sounded ridiculous to say it, but she had to. She couldn't risk her son.

"Charles, I don't want anyone getting it into their head that the son of Mystique and Azazel belongs to the Brotherhood," she said, "Not when Mystique gave him to us."

Charles looked up at her.

"Erik wouldn't take Kurt," he said.

"How about Emma or Riptide?" Moira said.

Charles opened his mouth and then closed it.

"I don't know," he said.

"I know," Moira said, "I don't want that happening."

He nodded.

"I understand your fears," he said, "But we can't turn her away."

Moira bowed her head. She knew that Charles wouldn't send Magnetrix away, not when she needed his help. She knew that she was being uncharitable, but they both knew that she wasn't going to put Magneto's daughter in front of her own children. It just wasn't going to happen.

She knew that, when push came to shove, Charles wouldn't either. However, he didn't think that the situation was that far advanced. Moira didn't know if she did either. All she knew was that she didn't want to risk her sons.

It was too late to let Magnetrix stay there. It wasn't too late to make sure she never found out about Kurt.

"Alright," Moira said, "But I don't want her within fifty feet of either David or Kurt. Terry…I'll ask Sean to make sure she doesn't mention Kurt."

Charles nodded. He smiled and touched her cheek.

"It's going to be fine," he said.

Moira wrapped her hand around his wrist. She pulled it closer and kissed it.

"I trust you Charles," she said.

He smiled. She didn't trust Magneto or his daughter, but she could trust her husband. That and keep a close watch over their children.

* * *

"The pain killers should wear off in a few hours," Annie said, "You need to take a few in about three hours. If you fall asleep, just take some in the morning. Okay?"

Lorna nodded, wishing that Annie would just go away. She didn't have anything against her, but she was too chatty for Lorna's mood. She'd already gone over the areas that Lorna was and wasn't allowed to go into, but Annie had told her that it wasn't permission to move around. Lorna was on strict bed rest.

She hated the idea. It made her feel trapped. She knew she wasn't being held prisoner, which was some comfort. She knew too much about the Professor to think that he would toss her to the authorities at the first opportunity too. Lorna knew he wanted to call her father though, and he probably wanted her gone. Banshee definitely wanted her to go away, and she had the feeling that the rest of the X-men wouldn't want her there either.

At least that meant that they were all on the same page.

"If you need me, you know where the call button is," Annie said.

She nodded again and, at last, Annie left the room. As soon as she left Lorna flopped back on her pillow. She felt like crying. She wanted to leave, to get out of the Institute as fast as possible. Lorna didn't belong there, and if her father found out that she had gone there for help instead of going to the Brotherhood then he wouldn't just be angry anymore. He'd be hurt, and perhaps curious as to why his daughter preferred his enemies over her family. He'd feel betrayed, and he would have every right to feel that way.

She leaned back on her hospital bed, desperate to keep the tears in. How could she explain to her father, to anyone, that she didn't have a choice? She couldn't face him. Not feeling like she was, feeling that everything that she had been taught was a lie. More than that, she now had the terrifying revelation that the only way to escape any of that was to leave her family.

Lorna could feel the helplessness welling up. She hadn't been this helpless since she was eleven in the woods, feeling the kicks of the men who had set her house on fire. Even when Azazel had died she'd been able to fight to keep everyone else away from him. She'd been able to find Black Tom and bring him to justice, even when Mystique had hacked him apart minutes later.

Now she felt as though she had come against a wall in her life, one that there seemed to be no escaping. She either had to destroy it or turn around and walk back. Neither option was appealing, and Lorna hated it. It felt like she didn't have a choice at all and she felt like she was betraying her family for even entertaining the possibility of leaving. She wished Alex had just left her in Fall River.

Alex. Lorna hugged herself to the point that her fingernails dug into her arms. She squeezed her eyes shut. She was in love with him, and she wished she wasn't. Lorna had the feeling that he felt something similar for her. It wasn't as though she could ask. Even the thought of it ached and Lorna wished that it would go away.

At the same time she didn't want it to go away. It was a beautiful feeling, but it was coated in pain and suffering. It was like picking up a rose only to be cut apart by the thorns. She hadn't asked for this to happen, hadn't even asked to meet him. Yet, now she would have to deal with the consequences.

* * *

Alex ran a hand through his hair as he walked through med bay. Sean's words were still echoing in his head, and he wished that his friend hadn't said anything. He'd been right though, and Alex knew it. The smart thing would be to leave Lorna alone in med bay until she left.

However, he was still walking there, his footsteps echoing on the tile. He had to see her. Alex watched as Annie shut the door to her room and turned to him. She smiled at his approach and Alex groaned inwardly. As if the day hadn't already been bad enough. Still, it wasn't as though it could get too much worse.

"How is she?" Alex asked.

"Better," Annie said, "Stubborn as a mule."

Alex nodded. It was a pretty good description.

"So, how're you?" Annie asked.

She tilted her head and smiled. Alex shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Fine," he said.

"Doing anything later?" Annie asked.

He took a deep breath.

"Annie, this isn't going to work," he said.

She continued looking at him, her gaze level.

"I mean, you're a really great person-" Alex said.

"But you're not interested," Annie finished.

She shook her head. She didn't look upset or even irritated. It confused him.

"Alex, do you mind if I say something rather personal?" she said.

"Yeah," he said.

Annie grinned, although he could see that it didn't reach her eyes.

"Look, you seem like a good guy, but this whole lone wolf paramilitary thing isn't going to last forever," Annie said, "Don't waste your opportunities."

Alex thought of Lorna and shifted his feet.

"I'm not trying to push people away," he said, "I just don't think we'd work together."

"I know," Annie said, "And I think you're wrong, but what can I say?"

Her voice was soft, slightly disappointed.

"Just don't be afraid to take risks, okay?" she said.

He frowned and rubbed his temples.

"You're hoping I'll change my mind, aren't you?" he asked.

Annie nodded.

"I won't," he said.

"We'll see," Annie said, "But I'll back off. For now."

Annie forced a grin and walked away. He felt worse than he'd thought he would, mostly because he'd hoped for their conversation to be a bit more final. At least he had tried. He took a deep breath before walking to Lorna's room. Alex opened the door before thinking that he should have knocked. By the time he realized and winced the door was already open and Lorna was looking at him.

Her lips were in a thin line and her eyes were intense. He saw that her hands gripped the rails of the bed. Alex wondered if she was still angry at him.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking with the door," he said.

Lorna turned her face towards the wall.

"Go away," she said.

Alex felt his breath catch. So she was still angry.

"Lorna, I only brought you here because I thought-" he started.

"I can't deal with you right now," she said, "Just do us both a favor and leave me alone, okay?"

Alex stared at her for a moment more, his fingers still on the doorknob.

"I said go!" Lorna said.

He took a step back and closed the door behind him. He felt a surge of anger, but it was quickly eclipsed by a feeling of despair. Who was he kidding? Sean had been right. He was going to end up getting hurt by this. And, from Lorna's reaction, he wondered if the hurt was going to be for anything other than a fool's hope.


	18. Chapter 18

March 31, 1975

"That's how you balance the equation," Clarice said.

Calvin nodded and snuck a glance at her. Her eyes were looking intently down at the worksheet, and he supposed he should have been paying more attention to what she was showing him. However, he'd just noticed that her hair wasn't solid pink. The inner layer was magenta, which was what made it look so bright.

It was pretty distracting.

"Now try doing one by yourself," she said.

"Okay," he said.

She started to move away, but Calvin cleared his throat. Clarice turned back, her head cocked and her arms folded.

"Need something?" she asked.

He swallowed.

"Not exactly," he said, "I was just wondering about...you know. In the med bay."

She looked around the room before returning to his side. Calvin knew that she was one of the students in the know at the school: her, Scott, and probably Jean. He was starting to wonder if it had anything to do with their extra genetics class, since as far as he could tell it was the only class they all shared.

"Keep you voice down," Clarice said.

She put her finger to her lips. He nodded. It wasn't as though he had much of a choice. He knew they didn't know much about each other, he was working on a plan to correct that soon, but he hoped that she knew she could trust him about Magnetrix. He got the feeling that he wasn't supposed to know about her.

"How did you find out?" she asked.

It appeared he wasn't.

"Saw her come in. Recognized her from the Brotherhood," Calvin said, "Heard a little from Scott."

It wasn't like he could forget seeing, especially when Scott came back to the room late at night fuming and refusing to talk about the situation. All he'd managed to find out was that she was in the med bay.

"He shouldn't have said anything," Clarice said.

"He told me he couldn't tell me actually," Calvin said, "But he's close-lipped about a lot of things. I didn't know if it was, you know, standard."

She shook her head and glanced back at Calvin. Although he knew she didn't want to discuss Magnetrix, he couldn't help but feel a little excited. He didn't have too many opportunities to talk to Clarice. Well, he had plenty of opportunities: most of them just involved chemistry.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked.

Her eyes narrowed.

"You don't have a score you want to settle or something stupid, do you?" she asked.

"No, no!" he said.

Calvin winced when he heard the volume increase in his voice. He cleared his throat and looked around. No one was paying them any attention. Calvin looked back at Clarice, who looked annoyed.

"Sorry," he said.

"Just keep it down," Clarice said.

Calvin looked down at his paper.

"She was the one that let me out when they kidnapped me," he said, "I don't think that I ever thanked her for saving my life. Not really."

Clarice cocked her head.

"As I understand it she didn't save your life," she said.

"She did," Calvin said.

He thought about his words.

"Well, maybe not in the physical sense," he said, "But if she hadn't let me go then I wouldn't have had a chance to start over again. So, she saved my life. Or my future. Whatever you want to call it."

He traced vague shapes on his paper with his pencil. Calvin knew he sounded like an idiot.

"Do you understand?" he asked.

There was only silence. When he looked up he saw that Clarice was looking at him thoughtfully.

"I think I do," she said.

Calvin smiled and Clarice drew away.

"I'll ask the Professor," she said, "and I'll tell you what he says."

"Thanks," Calvin said.

Clarice smiled slightly.

"You know, there's more to you than meets the eye Calvin," she said.

He beamed inside, but he managed to maintain a nonchalant smile.

"I try," he said.

Clarice inclined her head again before moving to another table. Grinning Calvin got back to work on his equation sheet. He finished it in a few minutes and checked it over. As he did he wondered if the Professor would let him in to see Magnetrix. It wasn't like she was being kept prisoner.

Or maybe she was. He didn't know that much about the situation, but everyone seemed so careful about it. Calvin could understand: he didn't want anything to do with the assholes who'd tried to erase his memories. He hated the idea that there were so many of them, that they could do what they tried to do to him to anyone. Of course everyone was being cautious.

However, Magnetrix had gone out on a limb to help him. She might have gotten punished because of it. He thought that it was pretty safe to mark her as someone he could trust. He might not be able to trust her completely, she was still a member of the Brotherhood after all, but he supposed that he could still give her some.

It was why he wondered if, perhaps, she didn't fit in with the rest of the Brotherhood. He might be wrong, her father was its leader, but there had been such wistfulness in her voice the night that she had left him at Westchester. She might feel as trapped as he had in that jail. Probably more so. She'd said that she had wanted to move forwards too. He wondered what was holding her back.

Clarice stopped him around lunchtime. Calvin had taken to eating with Scott, he didn't know too many other people yet, but Clarice had a different lunch period. He knew her next class must start soon, but she didn't appear to be in any rush. Calvin figured it was a teleporter thing. He wished he could get the hang of that.

As soon as she saw him she waved and began digging around in her books. He stepped out of the lunch line and walked over. When he reached her she pulled out a piece of paper. Clarice held it out to him.

"The Professor says you can visit later this afternoon," she said, "Just give this to Nurse Annie and she should let you in."

"Thanks," Calvin said.

He took the piece of paper and Clarice adjusted her books.

"Just don't spend too long with her," she said, "Those Brotherhood people are real wack jobs."

It was the closest he'd ever come to hearing Clarice swear, and for some reason it made him smile.

"Duly noted," Calvin said.

She didn't smile back a she went into the hall. Calvin looked after her for a moment before grabbing his lunch. Scott was sullenly silent, perhaps a hangover of what had happened the night before. Jean joined them, but she looked more worried than anything.

After classes were done Calvin headed down to the med bay. He ran into Annie soon enough and showed her the paper. She looked at it with a mixture of dismay and irritation.

"You know she's Magneto's daughter, right?" Annie said, "I just found that out this morning."

"I know," Calvin said, "But she saved my life."

"She's still dangerous," Annie said.

"I think I can handle a girl with a broken foot," Calvin said, irritated.

Annie sighed but she waved him on. Calvin walked down the hall until he found the only occupied room. He hesitated for a moment before knocking.

"Who is it?"

Her voice came out sharp, just like when she'd told him to shut up on the car ride to the Institute.

"It's Calvin."

There was a pause. He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another.

"You can come in...I guess," she said.

Calvin opened the door. He saw where her foot had been propped up. She had a book in her lap and was looking at him with a confused expression. Calvin shut the door behind him and smiled nervously.

"Hey," he said.

She continued looking at him. Magnetrix put the book onto her nightstand, her eyes still fixed on him, although her gaze didn't quite meet his.

"I know this is going to sound rude," she said, "But what are you doing here?"

He shrugged.

"I never thanked you for what you did," he said.

"You did," Magnetrix said.

"I said 'thanks,'" Calvin said, "Somehow that doesn't seem to cover what you did for me. I was going to have my future stolen from me, and you prevented that. 'Thanks' most definitely does not cut it."

Magnetrix looked down at her hands.

"As I said, you shouldn't have been there," she said.

"Yeah, but it wasn't your responsibility to fix it," he said.

"It was," Magnetrix said.

Calvin didn't know what to say. Looking back on it he had never really known what to say, just that he had to say something.

"Are you moving forward?"

The question was so abrupt that Calvin started.

"Yeah," he said, "I think so. For the first time in my life..."

He paused, trying to find the right words.

"For the first time in my life I can see my choices," he said.

Magnetrix looked up at him, her eyes meeting his for the first time since he'd come into the room.

"I'm happy for you," she said.

Calvin smiled, but he didn't feel happy. The yearning in her voice was a little scary.

* * *

Alex walked down the stairs. He didn't know what he was going to say to Lorna to make things right again. He would have to explain that he hadn't meant for things to turn out this way, but he doubted she'd believe him. He'd have to be as sincere as possible. It was the only way.

He stopped when he came upon Annie. She looked at him and sighed.

"I miss the days when kids came down here because they had the flu," she said.

"I know this wasn't exactly in the job description," he said.

"No, all nurses tend to criminals and make sure they don't go into a building full of children," Annie said, "Happens all the time."

Alex winced.

"It shouldn't be for long," he said.

"Only for the next six weeks or so," she said.

She put her pen down.

"I take it you're here to visit her?" she asked.

Alex nodded.

"It looks like everyone's allowed to visit her," Annie said, "Terry was in here earlier. A child!"

"Sean was with her though, wasn't he?" Alex asked.

Annie nodded, although he could see the gesture was grudging.

"She's still very young," Annie said, "As far as I can tell we've never made it a habit to let the Brotherhood close to the students here."

"Magnetrix is a little different from the rest," Alex said.

It was the understatement of the century.

"I still don't think it's a good idea," she said.

He threw his hands up.

"Look, are you going to let me in or not?" he said.

"It's not like I can stop you: you're my superior on this. But you're going to have to wait," Annie said, "She's with Calvin right now. Another student we're letting see her apparently."

He frowned.

"Calvin's visiting her?" Alex asked.

"He got written permission from the Professor," Annie said, waving a piece of paper, "Definitely wasn't forged. He's been in there for the past fifteen minutes or so."

Alex clenched his hand into a fist. If Calvin had been in there for the past fifteen minutes then it meant, on some level or another, Lorna was talking to him. She hadn't been willing to talk to Alex, even after all they had been through. She'd talk to Calvin though. She'd also been willing to talk to Terry, but she'd helped look after her for years. She barely knew Calvin.

Part of Alex's mind was still rational, and he hated it. For once in his life he didn't want to be rational, but it was speaking loud and clear. Was he really going to be jealous of a teenager who was no doubt thanking her for letting him go?

The answer was yes. He wasn't jealous of Calvin in general, merely of the fact that Lorna would talk to him. Alex needed her to talk to him and she wouldn't. They'd been so comfortable over the past day and now it was gone and it killed him.

He took a deep breath. He was being selfish. Lorna needed time, needed space. He could help her though, and he wished she'd let him. However, he couldn't let her see him angry. Not over something like this.

"I'll come back tomorrow," he said.

"Alright," Annie said, "Just be careful. She's dangerous."

Alex shook his head.

"She won't hurt anyone," he said.

Annie shrugged.

"It doesn't mean she isn't dangerous," she said.

Alex shook his head again before walking away. He didn't dare admit that Annie was right. Lorna was dangerous to him: just not in the way that everyone thought.


	19. Chapter 19

April 1, 1975

"So how bad is the injury?" Warren asked.

"Sounds like it's bad," Ororo said, "Heard her foot shattered."

"Ouch," Warren said, "How long until it heals."

"Six weeks," Ororo said, "Don't you listen?"

"She's going to be here for six weeks?" Warren asked.

Scott gritted his teeth at Warren's tone. The team was assembled in the Danger Room, waiting on Alex and Sean to come down. The new uniforms had come in, and Alex wanted them stretched out a bit before they did their end of week session.

Naturally, the conversation had turned to Magnetrix. They had been briefed about her, but they hadn't had a chance to discuss, as a group, what that meant. He just wished Warren didn't have to sound so outraged. The two had never talked about the argument they'd had in Sinister's lab, and Scott could feel it itching in the back of his head.

"We're going to be housing Magneto's daughter, in secret, for six weeks?" Warren said.

"That about sizes it up," Scott said.

Warren ran a hand through his hair.

"We are in deep shit," he said.

"Try not to look at it like that," Jean said.

"How else should we look at it?" Warren asked.

"Maybe she'll heal sooner," Ororo said.

Jean shook her head.

"Unlikely," Jean said, "Annie let me look at some of her x-rays. It's bad. Whatever accident she got into it really did a number on her. Six weeks is an optimistic evaluation really."

Scott looked at her, feeling dismayed. They were going to be hiding Magneto's daughter for more than six weeks? Although Scott rarely doubted the wisdom of his brother's decisions, especially when they were backed by the Professor, he couldn't help but doubt the wisdom of the current plan.

He could see that same doubt ripple through the X-men. Only Clarice's face remained impassive. When Scott had first known her he'd thought that face meant she didn't care. Now he recognized it as her way of thinking without letting anyone know just what was going through her head.

He often wondered if she'd developed it in Sinister's lab.

"I don't see why we're doing this for her," Ororo said, "They wouldn't do the same for us. In fact, I think if they found us lying injured in the middle of the street then they'd finish us off."

"Probably," Warren said.

"We're not the Brotherhood," Scott said.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean we believe in rainbows and kittens for everyone," Warren said.

"Meaning?" Jean asked.

"It means we're not supposed to be saps," Warren said, "Magnetrix is obviously here on some mission from her father."

Scott made a face. He didn't like her presence, but he doubted that was what was happening.

"If the Professor suspected anything then she wouldn't be here," Scott said.

"Have some faith," Jean said.

Warren looked annoyed.

"She's up to something though," he said.

"No."

Scott looked over at Clarice. There was such certainty in her voice.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"I was talking to Calvin earlier," she said, her voice slow, "And-"

"Calvin?" Ororo said, "Who's that?"

"The mimic," Warren said.

Ororo grimaced for a moment. Scott crossed his arms. He didn't like the term Warren used, and he certainly didn't like Ororo's expression. He glanced over at Clarice, her face still impassive.

"Magnetrix was the one who freed him when Emma was about to wipe his mind," Clarice said, "She may not be quite as bad as her father, meaning that she might not do anything underhanded. Besides, I imagine that Magneto's daughter would try to be a bit more subtle than a broken foot to get into the Institute."

"Yeah, but she's still Brotherhood," Warren said.

"She came to us for medical help," Jean said, "We couldn't just turn her away."

"No, Alex brought her here for medical help," Ororo said, "I hear she didn't want to be here at all."

"More confirmation of my theory," Clarice said.

Scott dug his fingernails into one of his arms.

"My brother must have had his reasons," he said.

"He usually does," Jean said.

"Regardless," Warren said, "I don't feel comfortable with her around, even if Calvin's vouching for her."

Ororo grimaced again. Scott was already irritated, and the grimace was a good target.

"Why did you just do that?" Scott said.

She turned to him and frowned.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Make that face when Warren talked about Calvin," Scott said.

Ororo sighed.

"I don't like the idea of someone who can just take my mutation if he feels like it," Ororo said, "That's all."

Scott glared at Ororo. Calvin's unhappiness about his mutation made perfect sense now. His reassurances to Calvin had been based on the belief that not many people would feel that way about his mutation. It made him angry that, not only was he wrong, but someone he depended on felt that way.

He took a moment to calm himself down before talking though. Ororo was a friend, even if she was wrong. Besides that, he was supposed to be leading her one day. He couldn't just go around shouting at people.

It was why he wasn't the first one to speak.

"Ororo, do you have any idea how heartless you're being? How pointlessly cruel?"

Ororo's eyes widened. Clarice looked at her blankly, absently forming a teleportation crystal in her hand. Scott stared at her. She rarely spoke, especially when it came to talking about other classmates. She had a habit of keeping to herself. However, when she did speak up, it wasn't usually so biting.

"What?"

"I know you heard me," Clarice said, "So, I repeat, do you have any idea?"

Scott stepped in front of Clarice just as Ororo opened her mouth. They'd all seen examples of Ororo's explosive behavior, and it never ended well.

"Ororo, Clarice might not have used the best words, but think about what you just said," Scott said, "You're condemning someone because their mutation makes you uncomfortable."

Warren coughed.

"It's a weird mutation," he said, "It's like he's stealing little bits from us."

"And I shoot lasers out of my eyes," Scott said, "Big whoop around here."

"But you didn't take it from me!" Ororo said, "Warren's right, it's like stealing."

"Coming from someone with experience with theft, one would think that you would be a little more sympathetic as to why he's doing that," Clarice said.

Ororo's eyes narrowed, turning white.

"What did you just say?" she said.

Scott looked over at Jean, who looked on the verge of panicking.

"You know I'm right," Clarice said.

Jean stepped up and put a hand on Ororo's shoulder.

"Ororo, please, calm down," she said.

Ororo shook Jean's hand off, her eyes still white.

"And you think you're above it all, don't you?" she said, "You think she's right too, don't you?"

"Ororo, look at me," Clarice said.

Ororo jerked her head towards Clarice. Scott saw that she had finished the crystal and was tapping it against the back of her neck.

"You told me that you stole to survive. It's been the same thing for him for a long time," Clarice said, "He can't change his mutation, just like the rest of us. He's had a criminal record and he's trying to turn that around. He doesn't 'take' anything, he's more of a borrower really, so theft is a very strong word. He's not doing what he's doing to be malicious or cruel: he's just existing. It's something we can all understand."

She looked at Scott. He felt a little dazed. He hadn't heard Clarice talk so much in a group conversation in a long time. He thought of Calvin and how pleased he'd be that Clarice was defending him. He almost smiled at the thought.

"So try to understand," Clarice said.

The white left Ororo's eyes. She looked embarrassed for a moment before the look melted into shame. She'd never been good at masking her emotions.

"Right," she muttered.

Warren coughed. Scott wondered if he was coming down with a cold or if this was his new way of trying to get out of awkward situations.

"So can we go back to discussing the real problem here?" he asked.

"Good thinking," Scott said.

Ororo adjusted her gloves.

"I wouldn't feel comfortable with any member of the Brotherhood here," she said, "But Magneto's daughter is the worst case scenario."

"I think Magneto's the worst case scenario," Warren said.

"Alright, I stand corrected," Ororo said, "Second worst case scenario then."

"But, like I said, she came here for medical treatment," Jean said.

"Jean, her being here has to make you uncomfortable," Warren said, "Come on."

Jean hesitated before sighing.

"It does, but what can we do?" Jean asked, "What could Alex have done when he saw her lying there?"

"If it had been me than I would have just left her there," Warren said.

"Then it was a good thing that it wasn't you, wasn't it?"

Scott winced. He turned and saw his brother and Sean walking down the stairs. Alex was giving them all a cold look.

"Well Warren?" Alex asked.

Warren had the good sense to look at the ground. Alex looked at the rest of them, his expression still hard.

"I understand that you are uncomfortable that we have a Brotherhood member in med bay," Alex said, "But let me remind you of a few things."

Alex finished walking down the stairs. Scott noticed that Sean turned his head slightly towards Alex, his expression watchful.

"Magnetrix has helped us in the past. She was Terry's friend in the Brotherhood, and she was injured," he said, "But, putting aside the fact that we all know that she's reasonable, we're not a group of people who just sits by and does nothing when someone needs help. It doesn't matter who they are."

His eyes scanned them over.

"Do you have any problems with that?"

No one said anything.

"Good," Alex said, "Now, everyone besides Scott and Clarice start basic maneuvers. Sean, make sure that they do them. And you two-"

He gestured with his hand to Scott and Clarice.

"-follow me."

Scott looked at Clarice, who nodded. He fell into step next to her up the stairs and into the observation room. Alex sat down and swiveled his chair away from the big glass pane that looked down on the Danger Room. Scott could see that the rest of the team were going through with their warm-up moves.

He folded his hands behind his back, waiting for his brother to speak.

"I figured I should talk to you before the session today," Alex said, "Before you're too tired to discuss this."

Clarice nodded. Scott shifted his feet, waiting to find out what was going on.

"Scott, I figured you should be here," Alex said, "Because earlier today Clarice said that she felt that we should consider inviting Calvin to join the X-men. I told her I'd discuss it when you were here."

Scott looked over at Clarice, who continued to stare straight ahead. Wouldn't Calvin love this?

"Really?" he said.

"You seem surprised," Alex said.

"I just didn't know you two really knew each other that well," Scott said.

"We don't. I just tutor him on occasion," Clarice said.

"His mutation would be useful, granted," Alex said, "And with the inclusion of the new Brotherhood recruits, we do need more people. What makes you think he should be an X-man though?"

Clarice paused.

"Today he told me something that leads he to believe that he's not only looking for a second chance: he's looking for meaning," she said, "I think that the X-men can help him in his search."

Alex nodded.

"I'll take it under advisement, and we'll discuss some preliminary observation on him later," he said, "Scott, I'd value your opinion on this too, and he is your roommate. Clarice, you're dismissed to join the others."

Clarice inclined her head and walked out of the observation room. Alex watched the door close.

"Calvin's been pretty good so far," Scott said, "He's only been here a few days though, so-"

"We're not discussing Calvin right now," Alex said, "I just want to know if you agree with what I said in the Danger Room."

Scott blinked.

"Sorry?" he asked.

"What I said about Magnetrix," he said, "Do you agree?"

Scott clenched his hands behind his back.

"Honestly?" he asked.

He thought he saw his brother's eyebrow twitch.

"Yes," Alex said.

Scott swallowed.

"You shouldn't have brought her here," he said, "I understand helping out, but she's dangerous."

Alex sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Scott, she won't...I've worked with her in the past," Alex said, "If I really thought she was going to be a problem, then I wouldn't have brought her here."

"I know that," Scott said, hoping he could convey how much faith he had in his brother, "But Alex, one way or another she's going to cause trouble."

Alex stared out the observation window. Clarice joined the rest of the team as they began their push-ups.

"Scott..."

Scott waited, but Alex just shook his head.

"Never mind," he said, "Join the rest. I'll start the simulation in a few minutes."

Scott nodded and left the observation room. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but he had the feeling that, somehow, he had disappointed his brother.


	20. Chapter 20

April 1, 1975

Alex walked down the hall to Lorna's room, his hands shoved in his pockets. What had he expected would happen? That Scott would agree with his reasons? No. Scott was promising, understood what it meant to pull together as a team, to be a leader, but he still didn't understand about the layers that existed between black and white. Alex himself hadn't fully understood them himself until recently.

He wished that he could tell Scott what he was feeling. His brother's feelings on Lorna's in the Institute had been dismaying to say the least. He just didn't understand, and Alex wanted to make him. What would be the point of it though? It was impossible for Alex to feel happy about his situation, and he was tired of defending it. He had hated Magneto since he was fifteen years old. Now he was in love with his daughter. How was he supposed to explain that to a teenager?

More than that, Scott shouldn't have to deal with his problems. Alex was the older brother, not the younger. As such he had a duty to Scott. He needed to take care of him, and if that meant protecting him from a few things, then so be it. The white scars that criss-crossed his chest were proof enough of that. There were times when you had to keep things in, had to lie, because sometimes it was better that way.

No one should have to deal with his problems. The only reason Sean had to deal with him was because he'd found out by accident. Sean had enough on his plate with the daughter he was still acquainting himself with. Besides that, Alex knew that the friends who had done so many favors for Sean were trying to contact him, probably to cash in on the favor he owed. It worried Sean, even if he said it didn't.

Hank shouldn't know either. Hank had achieved his happy ending, was living comfortably with a wife who adored him and a young daughter as he worked his way through politics. Charles and Moira were happy too, even if their new son would one day bring trouble. Who was he to disturb any of their hard-won happiness?

He walked past Annie, who waved him in. Alex still felt a little guilty concerning her. He knew he was in love with the wrong person. If things had played out the right way he might have given in eventually. However, he knew that, in the end, the two of them wouldn't have worked out.

Alex had never really considered falling in love before he'd met Lorna. He'd seen Sean and Hank go through it, seen Charles and Moira for years. He'd seen Scott run after Jean, had watched with anxiety as Warren had run after her as well. He knew it existed, knew that his friends and family were willing to fight for love, saw how it changed them.

He had just never thought that it applied to him. His life was strictly the Institute and his family. Alex couldn't imagine needing any more. He'd lost everything when he was younger: having what he had was precious enough. He shouldn't get greedy.

Now he was getting greedy, and he knew that he would suffer for it. Lorna wasn't his to have. She had been right about people at the Institute not trusting her. Alex could only feel dismay when he'd heard the X-men talking about her. It seemed so shallow, so careless to talk about another human being like that. He couldn't blame them though. How could he? That had been his own attitude towards the entire Brotherhood until a year or so ago.

She should go. Alex was logical enough to know that. She should heal up and go back to her father. Better yet, she should call him immediately and tell him where she was. He could come and pick her up. There would be no harm done: her father wouldn't suspect, and he would simply see the X-men as the kind of people who would play good Samaritan to their enemies.

If he could only convince himself that that was the right thing to do. Alex wished he could divorce his feelings from the equation, but he knew better. Even so, no matter who she was Lorna deserved a chance to choose which side she was going to be on. She had been a child when the Brotherhood had taken her in and lied to her. Now she was a grown woman in the middle of a difficult decision.

It had been why she had wanted to be alone. Her family would influence her. She had gone to some out of the way place to try and make her decision. Then he had found her. He had gone with her, and in the end he had brought her to what had to be one of the last places on earth she wanted to be.

Bringing her to the Institute had also backed his team into a tight corner. He knew Magneto wouldn't be pleased when he found out that they had housed his daughter without his knowledge. Alex's actions could cause a great deal of anger and indignation on behalf of the Brotherhood. Lorna was dangerous to have in the Institute, not because of what she would do, but because of what her father would do if he found her there.

He reached her door and paused outside it, words of an apology forming on his lips. She had deserved better, deserved a chance to be in a place that was away from their world. Lorna had every reason to wish that he would stay away from her, to be angry with him. The right thing to do would be to let Terry and perhaps Calvin continue to visit, and leave her alone until she was healed up enough to go.

Alex had a track record of doing the wrong thing when it came to Lorna though. He couldn't let her go, not like that. Alex might be able to help her, and he was selfish. If she decided to go back to her father, then it was unlikely that he would ever see her again. There would be less team-ups, and she would shut herself off to him out of self-defense. He could understand.

It meant that this might be his last chance to talk to her as a friend. He certainly couldn't talk to her as anything else. The next few weeks would run out quickly enough and, no matter what, he deserved memories. Even if the memories were no more than a few friendly words, than it was enough. It would have to be anyway.

He squared his shoulders and knocked on her door.

"Who's there?"

Alex looked around the hall. Annie was out of earshot.

"It's Alex," he said.

There was a long pause, and he knew that she was debating asking him in or not. Alex waited as the seconds stretched into minutes.

"Something wrong in there?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Lorna said, her voice irritable.

"Glad to hear it," Alex said, "So, can I come in?"

He heard her hesitate again.

"Fine," she said.

Alex grasped the door knob. It was time to take a chance.

* * *

Lorna watched as Alex entered the room. She had her arms folded across her chest and had drawn herself up as far she could, given the fact that she was laying down in a hospital bed. Lorna knew that it was almost impossible to look formidable that way, but she had to give it a go.

Alex shuffled in and stood at the foot of her bed. They stared at each other for a while. Lorna kept her face irritated, but another part of her was glad to see him. Calvin had made awkward company at best, and while she had been happy to see Terry again, she hadn't felt comfortable around either of them. Neither of them knew her. Terry might have, once, but not anymore.

The only person who actually knew her in the Institute was Alex, and he knew too much.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Alex moved forwards until his hands were clenched around the bed rails at the bottom of the bed.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Lorna unfolded her arms slightly.

"What?" she asked.

He bowed his head.

"Lorna, I know I've put you in a bad position," he said, "A lot of people don't like what I did for various reasons, but the one this impacts the most is you. I should have asked you instead of just telling you where we were going. I should have listened when you said you didn't want to go, but it was the only thing that I could think to do. I just..."

He ran a hand through his hair.

"I just didn't want to see you hurt," he said, "Especially because of me."

Lorna looked at him, feeling a pain starting in her chest. Her anger melted away because, despite the situation, he was right. It had been the only thing to do, and he was still upset over what he had done. She wanted to reach out, follow the path that his fingers had worn in his hair, and tell him that it was alright. The urge to do so was almost overwhelming. It was lucky that he had chosen to keep his distance by standing at the foot of her bed.

It was impossible now not to acknowledge to herself that she loved him.

"Alex, I accept your apology," she said, "But that was only one of the reasons I asked you to leave the other day."

Alex looked up. Lorna looked at his forehead though. She couldn't afford to make eye contact at the moment.

"I still have a lot of thinking to do about...what I want to do," Lorna said, "And I could barely acknowledge what had happened the other night, let alone deal with how angry I was. That night...I literally couldn't deal with you along with everything else."

She continued to focus on his forehead.

"Do you understand that?"

He nodded slowly, his hands still grasping the bedrail.

"But...there's no reason why you have to do all of this alone," he said.

Lorna laughed, but she knew how sad it sounded.

"And who's going to help me?" she asked, "Everyone I know is affiliated with one side or the other. I just need...I need to figure things out by myself."

"I know that," Alex said, "If someone convinced you to go to one side or the other it would be pretty pointless, wouldn't it? It wouldn't be your fight."

Lorna wanted to cry. He did understand.

"But that doesn't mean you have to shut everyone out," he said, "You need to know that there are people out there. You can't do this as a hermit."

"What are you saying?" Lorna said.

Alex gripped the bed rail tighter. She wondered if he was going to bend the plastic.

"I'm saying that I can still be here for you," he said, "I won't talk about the X-men, I swear. We already know our beliefs are similar, so there's no harm in talking to me. It won't change anything."

He bowed his head again.

"Let me be here for you Lorna."

For a moment she let her eyes slide down to meet his. Then she turned her head, letting her tears fall where he wouldn't see them. The enormity of what he was offering her ached and burned inside of her.

"Why would you do that?" Lorna said, "There are no guarantees. Not with me. I could go home after all of this."

"Maybe," Alex said, "But you're...you're a friend, and you need someone right now. It's no different than me giving you a ride to Fall River. Not really."

She wanted to scream that, yes, it was very different. He was offering her something that she couldn't possibly return, and he wasn't expecting anything. Maybe he hoped, but they were both smart people. They knew that hope and actual likelihood weren't the same thing.

Lorna discretely wiped away her tears. What she really wanted to do was tear her hair out because she knew, in that moment, that Alex loved her too. It made it worse, because she knew that she couldn't have him. And he knew that he couldn't have her either.

And yet they were still in love. They could just never say it. Accepting what he was offering would just make the pain greater in the long run. She imagined that Alex knew that as well.

But she was too greedy to say no.

"Alright Alex," she said, her voice soft, "Alright."


	21. Chapter 21

April 16, 1975

"Alex, you've got to be joking," Lorna said.

"I'm not," Alex insisted.

He leaned over from his chair to her hospital bed. She watched as he fingered the edge of the book in her hands. His finger brushed up against the side of hers and, for a moment, Lorna bit the inside of her mouth. She couldn't deny the strange, pleasant shiver that ran up her back.

True to his word Alex hadn't mentioned the Brotherhood or the X-men unless she prompted him to, and she wouldn't dream of doing that. Lorna had only mentioned them in a peripheral way. For once she was free to talk like there wasn't a war outside her walls, like life could, in some way or another, exist alongside the battles.

Alex understood that she didn't need to talk over everything and that, for once, she could have a rest from it all. Lorna wondered if he needed that too, if he had ever allowed himself that. She suspected that he hadn't. He was the field leader of the X-men after all. He couldn't afford to let others know he needed that.

It felt good that she could give him rest and peace, even if it was a small thing. He'd given her so much.

"I hardly think that you're the type to read the Bronte sisters," Lorna said.

She looked down at the copy of _The Tenant of Wildfell Hall_ that Alex had fetched for her from the library.

"I wouldn't expect a boy to be interested in these books," Lorna said.

"I read them for a school requirement," Alex said, "I was pretty behind in reading. I'd kind of stopped going to school when I was fourteen. Charles was pretty strict about getting me back on course."

Lorna paused and looked at the book.

"But it's not the most famous of their works," she said, "I would have expected you to read _Jane Eyre _or _Wuthering Heights _instead."

"I read them too," Alex said.

She stared at him.

"And you were an X-man at that age?" she asked, "Going on missions on a weekly basis?"

"Yep," he said.

"Where on earth did you find the time?" Lorna asked.

He smirked and tapped the cover of the book again before leaning back in his chair.

"I'll tell you if you tell me," he said, "You must have had a busy life too."

Lorna ran her hand over the cover of the book.

"Emma," she said.

Alex cocked his head. Lorna hesitated, but she could tell him. It wasn't as though it could possibly have combat or strategic applications.

"She took a little time to warm up to me," she said, "Children in the Brotherhood. It doesn't exactly sound like a recipe for success. She started sympathizing with me around the time I was thirteen or so."

"So, once you'd grown up a bit," Alex said.

Lorna laughed.

"You make it sound so mercenary," Lorna said.

He shrugged, smirking.

"So she's a Bronte fan?" he asked.

"She's a book fan," Lorna said, "I had a kind of informal education, but around thirteen Emma started teaching me skills I'd need."

She decided to leave out that the things she'd need was breaking and building codes, disguises, and a few different languages.

"But she realized I wasn't reading as much as I used to once she started teaching me," Lorna said, "I used to be a bit of a bookworm. So she started assigning stuff. She gave me a book once and told me to see how fast I could read it, that it was a skill I'd need."

For a moment she could see Emma, one hand on her hip and the other with the book thrust out for Lorna to take. She felt a wave of sadness, but she pushed it away. She wasn't thinking about her situation now. She was thinking about a nice memory and sharing it with a person she could trust.

"She made me make time," Lorna said.

"Makes sense," Alex said.

She could hear words unsaid in the air, possibly about Emma's dominant personality. It wasn't as if she minded. Lorna had grown up around dominant personalities. All of the original Brotherhood members had them except Angel and Janos. She often wondered what exactly kept them all together.

The answer had quickly become clear: her father's personality was simply stronger than all of theirs. They were all strong, but his was enough to make them bow. Emma was smart, but she wasn't a leader. Azazel had been strong, but he only understood combat maneuvers. Mystique was defiant, but she was brash. Her father was the one that they could turn to for what they lacked.

For those who didn't have strong personalities, he encompassed everything that they couldn't be. Toad followed him with complete loyalty, and she felt that he was indicative of why everyone else followed him. They thought he could lead them to where they couldn't go by themselves.

Lorna had believed that too, believed it blindly for years. However, although the destination hadn't changed, she had opened her eyes to the journey. It was an ugly one.

She wasn't there to think about that though. There would be plenty of time for that once Alex left.

"Now you," she said.

His smirk widened.

"I just didn't sleep," he said.

"That's not an answer," Lorna said.

Alex leaned further back.

"I'm always good at multi-tasking," he said, "I'd read them at lunch while I was eating and talking, while I was walking in the halls, up the stairs, heading to class."

"Sounds dangerous," Lorna said.

He looked down, the smirk still in place.

"I fell down a couple of times, but for the most part it went smoothly."

"You're completely hopeless Alex," Lorna said, "Falling down must have given you brain damage or something."

Alex snorted, but she could see laughter there.

"At least my alarmingly good looks weren't affected," he said, "That's all that matters."

Lorna burst out laughing, the laughter shaking her. It almost unbalanced her broken foot from where it rested elevated on its perch, but she couldn't stop. She laughed until tears poured from her eyes and her ribs ached. Alex joined in with her, and she felt herself laughing even harder.

When she finally calmed down and wiped her eyes she looked at Alex. She hadn't laughed that hard in ages. He had brought that out of her, and it had been so easy for it to come, so easy for him to give her her laughter back.

It was why she loved him.

* * *

Calvin looked over his shoulder. The rest of the class was lagging behind. He wondered if he should slow down a bit, not draw attention to himself, but he needed a good grade on the run. If he kept up his grade in PE then he might still be able to make up for the fact that he wasn't doing very good in his math class.

He knew that he would be able to finish the run at a good pace. One of the most valued skills from his old life was the ability to run fast and for a long time. He'd gotten out of a lot of jams because of that. He'd always hoped to come across a mutant with the ability of super-speed, but he hadn't, so he'd had to depend on his natural abilities.

He rounded the corner of the Institute and finished. The teacher wrote down his time. Calvin couldn't remember the teacher's name, but he couldn't help but feel hopeful.

"How'd I do?" he asked.

The teacher turned his stop watch around and showed him his time. Eight minutes for a mile. Calvin grinned to himself as he reached for his water bottle. He picked it up and poured it into his mouth. It soothed the burning in his throat.

Calvin walked over to the building, intending to lean against the side of the building. As he did he saw that Clarice was stretched out beneath the shade of a nearby tree, surrounded by her books. He saw her looking things up in a book and writing them down. He supposed she was studying. It was like her.

He glanced at the teacher, but he looked like he was falling asleep. He wasn't watching. Calvin took another sip of his water bottle and headed over. He'd risk getting into trouble for this.

Clarice looked up a few seconds before he reached her. He knew he looked like a sweaty mess, but it was hard finding time to get to know her. He had to take what he could get.

"Hey, how's it going?" he asked.

Clarice shut her book, putting it casually to the side and picking up another.

"Studying," she said, "It's not particularly interesting."

"So you don't mind the distraction?" he asked.

She smiled.

"No, not really," she said.

He sat down, taking another swig of his water bottle. Clarice cocked her head.

"You should stretch you know," she said, "It's less likely for you to get cramps and aches that way."

"Oh, uh, okay," Calvin said.

"Before and after is usually the best way," Clarice said.

She shrugged and, for a minute, she looked rather awkward.

"Just a suggestion," she said.

Calvin smiled and stretched to touch his toes.

"It's not a bad one," he said.

For a moment he thought he saw something flicker in Clarice's eyes, but it disappeared too quickly.

"Are you taking advice just to humor me, or because you think it's a good idea?" she asked.

Calvin laughed. Her forthright manner never ceased to amaze him. It made him feel all the better when he could match it.

"I took it because I know you're much smarter than I am," he said, "And you probably know more about this than I do. I can take advice. It's the only way for me to get better."

"At what?" she asked.

"Everything. Anything," Calvin said, "Just better in general I guess."

Clarice pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Calvin, why do you want to be better than what you are?" he asked.

The question threw him off. He stopped stretching and looked at the ground. He knew that the silence was stretching out far too long, but he needed to have a good answer.

"You didn't know me before this," he said, "I hurt people. I just...didn't see a future for me. And now that I have a choice in the matter, I want to take advantage of it."

Clarice shook her head.

"Yes, and you took that chance," she said, "And now you're trying to kill yourself over what you're not. From what I've seen, you're already a good guy Calvin."

He felt a warmth spreading through him.

"Thanks for saying that," he said.

"I mean it," Clarice said.

"Thanks for that too then," he said.

"Hey, Rankin!"

Calvin turned and saw the teacher waving to him. The rest of the class had finished their run. He got to his feet.

"See you around Clarice," he said.

"See you," she said.

He smiled at her once before running to catch up with his class.

* * *

Clarice took a deep breath and pulled up her notebook. She'd timed Calvin's run. She'd give it to Alex later, show him that Calvin was a good fit for the X-men physically. He was more than that though. They needed more people, and Calvin was just the type that they needed.

She hesitated as she packed up her books. Clarice remembered the way that he looked at her when he spoke, the utter honesty behind his words. There had only been a few people she had encountered like that. Calvin was wearing his heart on his sleeve, possibly because he had tried it the other way and hadn't liked it.

It was why the smile he had given her before he ran to join the rest of the class was so confusing. It reminded her of the way that Scott would smile at Jean. No one had ever smiled at her like that. Still, she knew better than to think it was like that. He was just a friend.

She finished gathering up her things before leaving for her next class, his smile following her.


	22. Chapter 22

April 22, 1975

"No," Sean said.

He heard Phil sigh on the other end of the phone. Sean had been dodging his calls for as long as he could. He knew it was inevitable that he would catch him sooner or later. He'd just hoped that he'd had more time.

With Magnetrix in the med bay and his best friend in love with her, he hadn't wanted to cause more stress. Sean had wanted to focus on the things that he could work on, like tucking his daughter in and keeping a watch on his friend, hoping against hope that he wouldn't do anything stupid. Alex was treading dangerous ground.

Now he had to contend with his own footing.

"Sean, you knew this was coming," he said, "You always knew."

"No, I didn't," Sean said.

"I think I know you better than that," Phil said.

Sean shook his head. He didn't want to draw the conversation out, Terry was waiting for him with a puzzle in the library, but he couldn't let it go without a fight.

"I knew something was coming, but not this," Sean said, "It's too much."

Phil shuffled the phone.

"Look, you have to see this from his point of view," Phil said, "We've been doing little favors for each other for years, you and I, and he hasn't taken issue with that, because he knows you're good to work with and it's caused more good than harm over the years. He's ignored it and I've been able to do some cover-up."

Sean gritted his teeth.

"But now we're in a different situation," Phil said, "Unfortunately, you owe him for not going into that convention center. Believe me, he got into a ton of trouble for that. You owe him for trying to put a lid on Stryker. And you owe him for taking responsibility for that...monster."

Sean knew exactly who he meant. He thought of the last time he'd seen Sinister, locked up deep within SHIELD custody. He'd had a bizarre aura of calm that had unnerved Sean. Sinister had turned when he'd walked by and smiled at him. Sean, thinking of Moira and her near-death, had wanted nothing more than to smash his face through the glass.

He wouldn't stoop to his level though. Sinister needed to be contained, and the only people with that kind of ability was SHIELD. He'd needed them then, just like he'd needed them to stay out of the center. He just wished that the price wasn't so high.

"Phil, I can't come and work for Fury. *I won't do his political assassinations," Sean said, "I'm a single father, and I told Fury I couldn't take on anything that didn't send me away from my daughter for more than two weeks."

"He's not asking you to come aboard the Heliacarrier. He's asking you to be an outworker, and outworkers don't have the clearance to be assassins," Phil said, "The longest you'd be away from home is twelve days."

"Stupid loopholes."

"Sean, don't fight this," Phil said.

Sean could hear the pleading note in his voice.

"Why not?" he demanded, "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because it's generous," Phil said, "More generous than I would have thought. There was always going to be a time where the ledgers had to be balanced, and after this last favor I seriously thought that Fury would try to take you on as a full time agent."

Sean rubbed his temples and clutched the phone closer to him.

"I can't," Sean said.

"You can," Phil said, "I know your daughter is important to you. I have a son you know. I understand."

"I don't think you do," Sean said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice, "Not unless your cousin stole your son away and let you think he was dead for seven years."

He could almost hear Phil's expression change from halfway across the country.

"Is that what happened?" he asked.

"Yes," Sean said, his voice short.

"I knew something weird had to have happened but...Jesus," Phil said.

Sean bowed his head.

"I can't lose her now," he said.

"You won't be losing her," Phil said.

The words came out firm and sharp.

"You can still live where you're living now. You'll have seven or eight cases a year, more if there's an emergency," Phil said, "And, despite what you might think, this comes with perks."

Sean frowned and leaned against the wall.

"Like?" he asked.

There was another pause.

"Sean, I don't know what it is you do in your spare time," he said, "And I have no clue how you got into all those situations where you needed favors from Fury."

Sean didn't say anything. He knew perfectly well that it wasn't that Phil didn't know what he was doing. His friend was smart enough to go around connecting dots. It might take him years to figure out, but he would have at least an idea about the X-men after knowing Sean for as long as he had.

The truth was that he didn't want to know. It would give him deniability, and it would be better in the long run. It was one of the reasons Sean respected him.

"But you won't have to go to me as a mediator anymore," Phil said, "You'd be one of our people, and Fury is more willing to bend the rules for SHIELD personnel."

Inside his head pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, forming a picture he didn't want to see. He closed his eyes.

"Look, he can't force you to work for him. But he can cut you off and lock a lot of doors for you, and for whoever it was you needed those favors for," Phil said, "That's the downside. I know better than anyone that Fury can be vindictive. But if you do this now he will appreciate it, even if he doesn't show it. With everything in Vietnam ending, we need good people. Try to think of it like that. You'd be helping yourself."

Phil took a deep breath.

"And don't worry about your daughter, alright? SHIELD is usually more lenient towards personnel with children," he said, "I'll...I'll try to help you make sure you never miss a birthday or anything."

Sean didn't answer. He felt like someone had put a weight on his shoulders and was trying to push him down with it.

"You're supposed to report to Indiana for your first mission in five days," Phil said, "Book a ticket and we'll find you."

Silence still echoed across the line.

"Please Sean," Phil said, "Please just think about this."

Once more Sean didn't answer. He heard Phil sigh, followed by a click. For a moment longer Sean continued to hold the phone to his head before he put it down. He put both hands on either side of the table the phone rested on and bowed his head, trying to relieve the weight he felt.

"Hey, Sean, you okay?"

He didn't lift his head as Alex approached.

"Those friends decided it was time to cash in the favors I owe them," Sean said.

He heard Alex's footsteps stop.

"All at once?" he asked.

"All at once," Sean said, "They want me to work for them."

Alex drew level with him again. Sean risked a glance at his friend, at the way his jaw was clenched.

"And what did you tell them?" Alex asked.

"Nothing," Sean said, "But I know what I'm going to have to do. These people have enough power to make our lives pretty miserable if I don't go, and we can say goodbye to any future favors."

Alex leaned up against the wall and Sean straightened. Alex had crossed his arms and was glaring at the ground.

"So you're leaving," he said.

"Temporary jobs. Outworker status," Sean said, "I'll be back when I can."

Alex nodded. Sean could see the barely restrained anger in his friend, anger that Sean wouldn't be able to stay. It was nothing compared to what he felt though.

"And Terry?" Alex asked.

A lump formed in Sean's throat. He pushed it down, but when he spoke his voice cracked.

"Please...just watch her while I'm gone," he said, "I...I shouldn't be gone for more than twelve days. If you all could just, well, I know that it's a lot to ask-"

Alex uncrossed his arms and put his hand on his shoulder.

"We'll take care of her," he said.

Sean swallowed.

"Thank you," he said.

"What are friends for?" Alex said.

Sean managed a smile and straightened.

"When are you leaving?" Alex asked.

"Five days or so," Sean said.

"Have you talked to Charles about this?" Alex asked.

Sean shook his head.

"I just got off the phone. You're the first one I've told."

He looked down the hall.

"Terry's waiting for me," he said, "I'm going to have to tell her that I'll be going soon. That I'll have to do it again."

"She'll understand," Alex said.

"She shouldn't have to," Sean said, "But you're right, she will. She's strong. I wish she could have learned strength some other way."

He sighed and looked back at the phone. He wished that he had never picked it up. Then again, all it would have done was delay the inevitable, and he'd done plenty of that over the past few weeks.

"Alex, there's something else I'm concerned about," Sean said.

His friend frowned before understanding, followed quickly by anger, showed in his eyes.

"You're worried about not having anyone to baby-sit me around Magnetrix," Alex said.

There was no point in denying it.

"Yes, I'm very worried about that actually," Sean said.

Alex threw his hands into the air.

"You just don't understand," he said.

"It doesn't matter," Sean said, deciding it was time to cut to the chase, "What does matter is that, no matter what, you're going to be hurt. And that's my real concern, what haunts me when I think about this situation."

He didn't give Alex a chance to interrupt.

"Whether the pain will end up being physical or not, I don't know," Sean said, "It's likely to be physical if her father gets involved. But there's a one hundred percent guarantee of you coming out of this with scars on your heart. And I don't know if they're going to heal or not."

Alex closed his eyes.

"They wouldn't," he said.

Sean clenched his hands into fists.

"Then why are you doing this?" he asked.

For a moment he thought that Alex was going to shout at him and storm off. It had certainly happened enough. Instead Alex looked down.

"She's not sure if she wants to be part of the Brotherhood any more," he said, his voice soft.

Sean blinked.

"What?" he asked.

"You heard me," Alex said, "After what happened with Mystique and Black Tom she started to realize that the Brotherhood wasn't what she thought it was. Her father's been lying to her Sean, lying to her for a long time. And now that the lies are gone she's not sure if she wants to go home."

Alex's words were desperate, almost manic.

"That's how I found her, she wanted to get away to think," Alex said, "That's why her she doesn't want us contacting her father, because she doesn't want to face him."

Sean tried to speak, but Alex kept plowing on.

"She could have been one of us," he said, "I know we think that about everyone Magneto wrangles into the Brotherhood, but she was so close to being one of us. She is so close. She holds so many of the same values and it's tearing her apart right now, but she's too strong to let it. And I can't tell her what I want to, can't tell her how I feel, can't even try to tell her that she should stay here because it wouldn't be fair, can't..."

His voice trailed off. Sean stepped forward and put his hands on Alex's shoulders, trying to steady him.

"I love her," Alex said.

"I know," Sean said, trying to keep his voice from showing his despair for his friend, "But you know that all of that means that your chance of a happy ending are still almost nonexistent."

Alex nodded just as footsteps came down the hall. Sean looked up and Alex stepped back, straightening and the despair leaving his face. Terry walked in, looking curiously at her father and his friend.

"Daddy?" she asked, "Are you coming?"

"Sure thing," Sean said.

He looked at Alex.

"Just don't do anything stupid, okay?" he asked.

"I'll try," Alex said.

Sean knew that it was all he could hope for. He walked past his friend and scooped Terry into his arms, at eight almost too big to allow him to do that. He held tightly onto her, knowing how lucky he was to have her on any terms at all. He had just hoped that he wouldn't have to be parted from her.

"What was that about daddy?" Terry asked.

Sean forced a smile.

"Nothing," he said, "Nothing at all."


	23. Chapter 23

April 28, 1975

"Take it in," Alex said.

Scott wiped his brow as he finished his laps around the Danger Room. The rest of the team fell in behind him. He wondered what the rest of their exercises were going to be since he knew they always took it easier after a cooperative run. Even Alex had joined in with them.

"Okay," he said, "Ten minute break everyone. Clarice, Scott, come here."

The others milled away as Scott and Clarice hurried up to meet him. Clarice looked anxious and, for once, Scott knew exactly what this was about. Alex crossed his arms.

"Now, you know Sean isn't here," he said, "But he and I, as well as the Professor, have already made a decision concerning Calvin. Scott, are there any more comments you would like to make about Calvin?"

Scott and Alex had already discussed Calvin, and Scott hesitated before speaking. It wasn't as though he could say anything he hadn't already said.

"Nothing, except that I personally think that he has a lot of potential," he said.

Alex nodded.

"We decided the same thing," he said.

Alex turned to Clarice. Scott could see that she was beaming.

"I'm going to have a word with Calvin soon," Alex said, "And Clarice, thank you for recommending him."

"You're welcome sir," Clarice said.

Alex's smile grew. He nodded his head to Scott.

"Finish up the exercises and tell me how everyone does with their reaction times," he said, "Make sure you write it all down. You know which clipboard to use. I'm going to go check on Magnetrix."

"Is she healing well?" Scott asked.

Alex gave him a tired look. Scott knew how his voice sounded, that the eagerness to have Magnetrix heal and leave was coming through strongly. There was no other way he could say it.

"I'll see you soon," Alex said.

He grinned at the two of them, but it seemed forced.

"Now go out there and get to work," he said.

His brother gave him a final wink before he turned and left the room. Scott looked at Clarice.

"You should pick X-men more often," Scott said, "I think it's going to work out."

"Me too. I've got a good feeling about Calvin," she said.

"He's got a good feeling about you too," Scott said before he could stop himself.

"What?" Clarice said, her brow furrowing.

"Nothing," Scott said, "Let's finish up, okay?"

He jogged ahead, but not before he saw Clarice's puzzled expression.

* * *

Lorna collapsed back on her bed. She looked down at her foot, still heavily encased in its plaster cast. Annie had prescribed her several different physical exercises to strengthen the foot again. It had healed to the point where she had allowed that.

She had also begun making circuits of her room with her crutches. Lorna was starting to make real progress in not needing them. Soon the bone would mend and she would be free to go where she wanted, even if she didn't know where that was. Six weeks had been generous in her estimation. She felt like she could leave any day now, even though she knew that it was a bad idea.

Lorna propped her crutches against the wall and pulled herself further onto the bed. There was a knock at the door and she looked up.

"Who's there?" she asked.

"It's Alex."

She smiled.

"Come on in," she said.

Alex came in, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Training?" she asked.

"Something like that," Alex said.

He sat down in his customary chair next to her bed. He looked at the crutches and the sweat on her brow.

"I'm guessing you had something going on too?" he asked.

"Just making sure that I'm strong," she said.

"In a hurry to get out of here?" Alex asked.

She stared at him for a moment.

"Yes," she said.

Alex looked down, his expression awkward.

"Sorry," he said.

"No," Lorna said, "Let's not talk about it, okay?"

Alex looked down at the ground.

"We kind of have to," he said, "I know the original estimation was six weeks, but it's only been three and Annie told me that you're healing faster than she expected."

"I'm strong," Lorna said.

"I know that," Alex said, "Just...when do you think you'll be leaving?"

Lorna took a deep breath. She clasped her hands together in front of her, but there was no hesitation in her voice.

"As soon as possible," she said.

Alex didn't meet her eyes.

"Right," he said.

Lorna sighed and pulled herself to the edge of the bed. She wanted to reach for Alex, but she didn't.

"You knew that Alex," she said, "You knew that from the start. I wanted to be alone to think."

"Yeah, yeah I did," Alex said, "I just suppose that I wanted to forget for a little bit."

He gave a sad smile.

"I guess I did," he said.

Lorna felt the urge to comfort him again. This time she didn't stay her hand. She reached out and touched his cheek. He looked up, his eyes wide.

"I don't blame you. I would have if I could have too," Lorna said.

Alex stared at her, his expression torn. Then he moved. For a brief moment she felt his hands on either side of her face before he pulled her in. Lorna knew what was coming, knew what he was going to do, but couldn't bring herself to stop him. She let the kiss come.

It was much more urgent this time than the last. His lips twisted and moved against hers and Lorna couldn't help but kiss back clumsily. She'd had only barely managed to respond the first time, and it seemed like it had happened so long ago. This time she tried, but the way he was pressed against her lips made her want to forget everything, even how to react.

His tongue brushed against her lips. She laughed at the ticklish feeling and nearly gasped when she felt his tongue against hers. She opened her eyes as he pulled away for a moment before descending to her bottom lip, trailing kisses down her neck and stopping just above her collarbone.

His lips left her skin but he kept his head bowed, his breath warm against her skin. She could smell him, sweat and joy and a different life.

"Lorna," he whispered.

Tears filled her eyes. She reached out and grasped his shoulders, the cloth fisting in her hands.

"Alex," she said.

He looked up and met her eyes. She took another breath as he leaned in again. This time she smiled against his lips, felt him deepen the kiss, draw her closer. Lorna sighed as he tangled his hands in her hair. Her hands slid down his chest where she knew scars were hidden, scars from a shared but divergent past. For a moment none of it mattered.

She heard a clatter from the doorway. Lorna pulled away from Alex and saw Cyclops standing in the doorway, a clipboard and a pen on the ground. His mouth opened slightly and he took a faltering step back.

Alex looked at him and Cyclops broke into a full run. Alex let go of Lorna and took after him. She heard their footsteps pounding down the hallway. She took a deep, shuddering breath and closed her eyes.

Lorna could feel the tears in her eyes as she pulled her legs up to his chest. Her foot hurt when she put pressure on it, her leg hurt when she dug her fingernails into her flesh. She bowed her head down until it rested on her knees and let the tears fall.

For a moment she had forgotten what she was supposed to be doing, what she couldn't do. And it had cost Alex.

* * *

Scott ran past Annie. He could see that she was looking after him, confused. He didn't stay long enough to acknowledge her though. He just reached the stairs and started racing up them.

"Scott!"

He didn't look behind him, didn't look at his brother. He didn't want to remember what he had seen, but it was burned into his memory, his brother, the brother he had always looked up to and respected, had been making out with Magneto's daughter.

It was enough to make him sick.

"Scott, stop!"

Scott stopped, his breath pounding in his head and the rage and confusion choking him. He didn't want to, but years of training stopped his muscles for him. He could feel the sweat pouring off of him from his workout, and the slight the tears that mingled with the sweat.

The obedience lasted long enough for Alex run in front of him. His hands grasped his shoulders.

"Let me go," Scott said.

"No," Alex said.

"Let me go!" Scott said.

"Keep your voice down," Alex hissed.

Scott breathed in deeply, his hands clenching into fists.

"Why?" he said, "Why the hell would you do that?"

Alex swallowed.

"Scott, you don't understand," he said.

"No, I don't," Scott said, shaking his shoulders free of his brother's grasp, "I don't understand how you could betray us all like this."

"I didn't-"

"You did," Scott said, "For what? Because...because..."

Scott could feel the angry tears burning down his face.

"Because she managed to seduce you into her plans?" he asked, "Is that it? Of all the things to fall for Alex-"

"Shut up!"

His brother's tone rang with authority and, once more, Scott stopped out of instinct.

"You're right, I did fall," Alex said, "But not the way you think. I...I've been in love with Lorna for over a year."

Scott stared at him. He couldn't have heard him right.

"What?" Scott said, "Just listen to yourself! Lorna? You're calling her Lorna?"

"It's her name," Alex said.

"You shouldn't know her name!" Scott said, "How could you-?"

"It's easier than you think when you know Lorna," Alex said, the words forced out between gritted teeth, "Easier when you know how strong, how determined, how brave, how like you or me she is."

His words made Scott pause, but he rallied. His brother was blind, couldn't see.

"That's bullshit!" he said, "Bullshit she fed you so she could get under your skin!"

Alex laughed, the sound so bitter and tired that it shocked Scott.

"How stupid do you think I am, to fall for something like that?" Alex said, "How little faith do you have in me?"

His brother ran his hand through his hair. As he did Scott could see his skin stretched a little tired, the worry lines and slightly dark circles under his eyes more prominent. Scott watched, entranced. How could he have not seen that his brother was falling apart sooner? How could he have not seen the utter misery in him?

"I love her," Alex said, "And chances are because she, like me, loves her family, it won't mean a thing. If she chooses her family over what she knows is right, I can't blame her. But it will hurt."

Alex took a choking breath.

"It already hurts," he said.

Scott stifled the tears of betrayal, sucked them back in as much as he could. He put his hands on his brother's shoulders.

"I've always respected you," Scott said, "Always looked up to you, because you were smarter, better, stronger than I was. Than I am."

Scott managed a smile.

"And you were always there for me," he said, "So I'm going to be here for you now."

* * *

Alex managed to give Annie an explanation for his brother running past at high speeds. He told her about him being angry that Lorna was there at all, hadn't been able to see her there. She seemed satisfied.

He opened the door to Lorna's room. He saw her lying on her bed, facing away from him. He shut the door and swallowed.

"I think my brother understands," he said, "He...he won't tell."

Lorna didn't say anything, just kept staring at the wall. He dug his hands into his pockets.

"Lorna, about what happened-"

"I'm sorry."

Alex felt as though someone had taken the air out of his lungs.

"You're sorry?" he asked.

"For the pain," she said, "If I could take it away, I would."

He didn't pretend not to know what she meant. It still ached in his chest.

"You could," he said, his voice soft.

Lorna sighed.

"Alex, I have a decision to make," she said, "On either side there are people who are going to be hurt because of what I do. I realize that now in a way that I hadn't before. And I can't...with a decision like this..."

She turned her head, letting her hair fall over her face.

"It's my life Alex, and it's my soul," she said, "I can't let that be dictated by other people."

Alex felt the tears in his eyes. He turned away, facing the door.

"You want me to stay away, don't you?" he asked.

"Just for a week," Lorna said, "Before it ends, I'll know. I've wasted too much time already. My father's probably worried about me."

He gritted his teeth. He hated Magneto more than ever now.

"I understand," he said.

"I know," Lorna said, "Thank you."

Alex put his hand on the door handle.

"If you do go back," he said, "Just say goodbye. Please."

Lorna sighed.

"Of course."

Alex nodded and opened the door.

"Thank you for that."


	24. Chapter 24

May 1, 1975

Lorna walked down the med hall on her crutches. It was almost midnight, but she couldn't sleep. Annie had allowed her free access to the hall as she got accustomed to walking again. The nurse had told her not to overdo it though. It was probably good advice. Despite her obvious dislike of Lorna, she seemed to be good at her profession.

She bumped one of her crutches against the wall. The impact destabilized her for a moment and she faltered. After a moment she regained her balance. She was becoming much faster on the crutches, although the pain in her foot was still strong. Her cast might have been replaced with an ace bandage, but the pain was still there. It was good: it kept her grounded. She needed something to keep her attached to the world.

True to his word, Lorna had not seen Alex in the three days since they had kissed. Terry had come down to play, but Lorna'd had to struggle to receive her. She had pushed Alex away in order to make a difficult decision about her life, and she wasn't going to be distracted. Even the end of the war in Vietnam hadn't been able to shake her too much.

She needed to concentrate on her thoughts, but it was difficult. They sent her soaring and tumbling through a maze. Lorna felt like she was being hit with questions from every corner, as though eyes were observing her everywhere, watching her as she tried to fumble her way through an explanation, tried to find some easy answer.

The truth was there was no easy answer. Lorna had known that when she'd run away from her father, when she'd decided that what he was asking wasn't something she was willing to give. She could still remember the oppressive weight that had dropped on her shoulders. She couldn't remember packing, although she could remember leaving a note. Most of it was a blur though. After that all she could remember was when she had finally left and the weight had lessened to the point that she could breathe.

Part of her still had no clue why she had left in the first place. She had known ever since she'd seen Alex's scars that her family weren't the people she'd thought they were. It was obvious that most of her life had been a lie. Why had she continued to stay and fight for something that was only real to her? Maybe she was the only one it had ever been real to. What was the point of leaving? What would it prove?

She leaned against the wall and fought back the urge to cry. She was sick of crying, sick of feeling helpless and doubting herself. Lorna felt like everything had been a lie since the moment her father had taken her in. She rebelled against the thought though: it was the easy way out. Not everything had been a lie.

The love she'd experienced hadn't been a lie. Angel had loved her and taught her things that had made her normal. Emma had taught her the things that didn't, and Azazel had taught her to protect herself. Mystique might not have cared for her, but she had never pretended that she did. Where there was no love there was honesty, at least in their attitudes towards her.

And her father. Her father loved her. She could still remember the way that he had scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to her mother. It had been kind and gentle, loving even though he'd barely known her. Lorna had always remembered that.

Now she couldn't help but remember that not even an hour afterwards he'd used the same hands that carried her to destroy the town that she'd grown up in. He was a man who was capable of great violence, but he had only ever treated her with love and kindness.

It would be easy to see what he was doing as making her into some sort of pet, the type that you taught to attack but still shielded. Again though, that was the easy way out. Her father had loved her, still did. He was probably at the headquarters, worried sick about her. It had been over a month since she had left. He was probably on the verge of sending a search party out for her, if he already hadn't.

It wasn't that Lorna hadn't wanted to talk to him when the Professor had given her the choice to do so. It was that she couldn't. How could she face him knowing that she didn't believe in what he stood for anymore? How could she face him with love in her heart but treacherous thoughts in her head? No, it wasn't right, and Lorna was tired of pretending that she was someone she wasn't.

Those treacherous thoughts had hurt her more than once, controlled, changed, and perhaps ruined her life. What was wrong with believing that not all humans had to be killed though? When had she agreed to that? Her father might talk on and on about how her mother was an exception, but Lorna doubted that there could only be a handful of such people in the world.

Despite what Lorna had been raised to believe, there was no war being fought. There were no evil humans waiting to destroy everything. The evil ones were the exceptions, and her family's lives had been too corrupted by them to see humans for what they were. Lorna had the feeling that humans were as diverse as the stars in the sky, that they needed someone to walk by them and guide them as their world changed, not punish them for something that had yet to happen.

Her father wasn't just punishing them for a possible future though, and he wasn't just punishing humans. He'd agreed to have Alex tortured after all. Lorna wondered if he was seeking revenge for his parents, for the torture he had undergone as a child, for only being able to kill Shaw once, for the CIA's betrayal, for her mother's death. Perhaps he was punishing them for the rage he had been given, a rage that would never be satisfied until it consumed everything.

Lorna knew he was a good man though, even if much of that good was hidden from others. The man who raised her, who sang German lullabies to her when she had nightmares, was not evil. He was misguided and angry, and that rage had hold of him. Whenever she tried to remove it he had become angry though, angry at what he must perceive as rebellion.

It hadn't always been this way. When she had been swaddled in the cocoon that her father and the Brotherhood had built for her she'd been happy. She'd been ignorant, but that wasn't as bad as it should have been. Now she had been given knowledge and she was suffering for it. It had changed her.

Feeling angry she hobbled back into her room, swinging the door shut by pulling onto the metal. She hurried into the bathroom and stared at her reflection. She looked like she always had: slightly tanned skin, muscled arms, green eyes, green hair but black eyelashes. Nothing had changed about her physically.

However, she could see something strange in her eyes. She could see the hurt from betrayal, the strange revelations, the frustration and sadness at a world that ignored her attempts to help it. They seemed far too cloudy compared to what they had been.

It made her want to smash the mirror.

"Don't be stupid," she muttered.

She continued looking at the mirror though. Lorna raised her hand and touched her lips where Alex had kissed her. If she concentrated she could remember the way her skin had burned beneath his touch. He was the first and only man to kiss her. She supposed it had been a combination of her standoffish attitude and the universal fear that her father inspired. She'd never cared before.

Lorna withdrew her hand and gave a shuddering breath. She'd never been in love before, and it felt like she was drowning in broken glass. Alex was so different from anyone she had ever seen before. His strength was surpassed only by his arrogance, and that was surpassed only by the fact that he cared for others more than himself.

He was smart though. She'd known him for long enough to know that. Alex must have known that things wouldn't work out between them. How could they? Lorna couldn't have him if she went home, and she wasn't sure it would work if she did stay. Pain was the only thing that she could give him, and she had the feeling that she had given him plenty of it.

Was she going home though? She knew she didn't agree with her family anymore. She wouldn't kill for a cause that she didn't believe in though. Lorna didn't know where that would leave her when she went home to her family. Maybe they could use a permanent medic, if her father would allow it. Then again, he probably would. He'd think that he could change her mind in time.

Lorna hobbled back into her room from the bathroom. She wasn't getting much done, and was sick of looking at her reflection. Lorna had the feeling that she would never get anything done thinking around in circles. Part of her wished that she would just talk to her father, confront him with what she knew, and demand answers. She would demand why he thought that it was a good idea to torture Alex, why he had let Mystique murder Black Tom, why Calvin's mind would have to be stolen from him.

She knew all the answers already though, and that was the problem. Her father would say that it was part of the greater good. He would tell her that they had done what they needed to do. Possibly he would say that he regretted it, but that he comforted himself with the fact that he had done the difficult, but right, thing. Except that he wouldn't have done the right thing, and his justification was a pitiful one.

Knowing how it would all play out served to make it worse. She flopped down on her bed, tossing her crutches aside. They fell with a loud clatter but Lorna ignored them and stared ahead. Her mind felt like it was on fire and her stomach curled, as though she had a fever rather than a broken foot.

She didn't believe in her father's vision anymore. However, he was still her father. He had still saved her life. Didn't she owe it to him to stay by his side? Lorna knew he had big plans for her though, plans for her to one day take over the Brotherhood. She would be giving her life to her father's cause, fighting alongside her family, all the while thinking what a sham it all was.

Lorna wished she had Alex back, to tell him what she was feeling knowing that he wouldn't judge her. However, he was part of the problem too now. He hadn't meant to do this to her, but he had complicated things nonetheless, and she had let him because she loved him. No matter what she did, what side she chose, she was going to break someone's heart and destroy a little piece of herself.

Lorna took a deep breath. She couldn't allow anyone, on either side, to influence her decision. Not when her very soul was on the line. Alex loved her, and she loved him, but she couldn't factor him into the decision. Lorna also loved her father and the rest of her family, but he too had to stay out at the moment.

Her decision, once made, would be irrevocable. Lorna wouldn't be a turncoat more than once in her life. She had the opportunity to chose, but after that she would have to stand by her decision. One way or another, the Brotherhood or the X-men, she would be stuck with them for the rest of her life.

Stretching out her hand she summoned her backpack to her. The metal buckles obeyed her command and the backpack fell into her lap. Lorna reached inside and pulled out her purple and red coat, made in the colors of her father, to show her enemies whose daughter she was.

She'd been so proud when she had been given the coat, proud when she'd seen her father's surprise at her choice for her uniform. Lorna had gone on her first mission with Azazel. It had been a simple scouting mission, but they had run into some soldiers and had a scuffle. Lorna had felt exultant on coming back home. She'd believed that she had done something to help improve the lot of her kind.

Lorna pressed the coat into her face and, despite how sick of it she was, cried. It was a lie, all of it. Yet, her father still loved her. He didn't listen, but he loved her. He wanted her to come back home, as did the rest of her family. She struggled to push him out of the equation, but it was difficult, just like it was to put Alex out of her mind.

There was no way that she would win. One way or another there would be pain. Lorna continued to sob into her coat. She'd made her choice, but it felt like she had ripped herself apart instead.


	25. Chapter 25

May 2, 1975

"She's gone."

Alex looked up from where the Blackbird simulator's controls. Scott was next to him, trying to figure out how to take off. Annie stood a few steps away from them, her face caught between confusion and concern.

He stared at her for a moment.

"Who?" he asked.

"Magnetrix," Annie said.

Alex could feel Scott's eyes on him as he stepped down from the simulator. Sean shouldn't have worried about Alex not having anyone watch him while he was gone. Scott was doing a fine job, as bitter as the thought was. It wasn't as though there were any other stupid things that he could do after what he had done a few days ago.

Unless perhaps it was losing his temper at Annie. Lorna was still there. She wouldn't just leave.

"She can't be gone," Alex said, "She probably just went for a walk with her crutches to strengthen her legs. Doctor's orders, right?"

"Her backpack's gone too," Annie said.

Alex continued to stare at her. He was starting to feel fear now, but he pushed it down. She had promised.

"She's not strong enough to leave," he said.

"She's strong enough to try," Annie said.

Her voice was strong, burning with concern for her patient. It was a sincere concern, one that she gave to all of her patients. Alex realized then that Annie was telling the truth, that Lorna was gone.

"You were supposed to be watching her," Alex said.

His voice came out harsher than he'd intended. He heard Scott get up behind him and Alex swallowed, watching as Annie reached up a hand and wiped away a tear. She was already upset.

"I can't watch her every moment," she said, "She's going to hurt herself even worse and then the Brotherhood-"

Alex held up a hand. He sighed.

"It wasn't your fault. She's been trained well," he said, "But nothing's going to happen to her."

He stepped down from the simulator.

"If Magnetrix wants to go home, then the least she can do is let us get her a ride," he said, "She couldn't have gotten far, or her father would have given us an earful."

He knew his tone was cold, but inside despair and betrayal were burning through his veins. Every word he said felt bitter, like someone were trying to poison him piece by piece and bit by bit. He was surprised how steady he stood, because the world was spinning. His heart was breaking, and he couldn't focus on anything.

Scott had said something, but he couldn't hear it. All he could hear was the breathless, gentle way Lorna had said his name after he'd kissed her. He'd felt sure that she'd loved him then. Love might not be enough, not in their situation, but it had meant something.

Alex hadn't wanted her to go, but he hadn't wanted her to stay just for him either. It would be a lie, and it wouldn't last long. Selling one's soul for the sake of the heart didn't go far. He'd wanted her to be the person that he knew she was though, not the person her father had wanted her to be.

Then, out of nowhere, he saw a lifeline. She had promised to tell him goodbye, and she had broken that promise. He transformed the despair into rage, momentarily forgetting his heart break. He deserved that much after everything he had given her, after everything they had shared.

She couldn't have loved him if she wouldn't say goodbye.

"Alex?"

Alex turned and looked at Scott. His brother was worried.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Alex said, surprised at how even his voice was, "I'm going to go find her."

Scott looked uncomfortable.

"Alex, that's not a good idea," he said, "She's going home."

Alex risked a glance at Annie, who still stood there, looking worried.

"Don't worry," he said, "We'll figure something out."

He nodded at his brother.

"Follow me," he said.

Alex left the simulation hall, Scott hot on his heels. Once they were out of Annie's earshot Scott drew level with his brother.

"You have to let her go," Scott said, "I know it hurts but-"

"No, you don't know it hurts because you don't know just how damn bad it does," Alex said, "But I'll forgive you for the liberty. And don't worry Scott, I'm letting her go."

Relief broke out on his brother's face.

"You are?" Scott asked.

"Yes," Alex said.

He looked at the end of the hall, towards where it ended and stairs led up to the grounds.

"Right after I get my goodbye," Alex said.

The relief melted off of Scott's face.

"I'm coming with you," he said.

"No, you're not," Alex said.

"You're not in any condition to go out after her," Scott said.

Alex laughed. He had to, or the despair would come back and swallow him whole.

"Scott, I'm not going to do anything stupid, not this time," he said, "But she promised me a goodbye, and I'm going to get that. And after I get that, I'm going to make sure she gets a cab back to her father. Or better yet, have her father pick her up. And then it will be over."

"And then?" Scott asked.

Alex stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder at his brother. He was worried. Alex could see the childlike anxiety on his face, the helpless hope that his brother would soon stop his foolish quest. Alex wished he could be like that again, but it was too late.

It had been too late since he was thirteen.

"I've dealt with numerous injuries," Alex said, "Broken bones, torn ligaments, all sorts of things."

He shrugged.

"It was inevitable that I'd find a way to break my heart one day too," he said, "You can tell Charles where I've gone, but don't follow me Scott. I'll be back pretty soon."

Without another word he pushed open the door and ran up the stairs that led to the grounds. He opened the shed that masked the entrance and looked around. Where would Lorna go? Towards the highway, towards the back roads? He didn't know.

Alex made a quick run around the Institute. The spring rains had made the grounds soft. He could see impressions in the dirt from where students had come out and taken their morning breaks, or just gone for some fresh air. He had almost made a complete circuit when he saw the imprints of feet and crutches. She had been clumsy at covering up her tracks. It looked like she hadn't even done anything. It wasn't like her, but she had probably been in a hurry to get out of the Institute. It was a bitter thought, and Alex tried to hold onto it. He had to hold onto something.

Everything was hurting now. The anger over her lie was starting to disappear in face of his heart ache. He shouldn't have told Scott that he was alright. He might never be alright again. He'd known that the scars she'd leave really would never heal, had known that, acknowledged it to Sean, and it hadn't made any difference at all. He was still in pain.

All he wanted to do was scream at the sky. He could picture it now, could picture his veins throbbing as his voice became louder. He wanted to let his power flow from his hands, his new conduit, because it was warm and he felt cold. He wanted to burn down the whole damn forest.

He didn't though. He just followed the tracks and imprints into the woods outside the Institute. The fence loomed up in front of him. He figured that she had manipulated the metal to let her out. Alex just climbed it and jumped onto the other side. The tracks and the crutch imprints continued on.

Alex followed them as they went up a small hilltop. He pushed through branches, feeling them tear at his skin. Why had she gone over a hill instead of around it? Had she been lost? Alex decided he didn't care. There was no point in trying to get into her mind. He supposed he didn't know it like he'd thought he did.

He pushed away the final set of branches. He saw a fire smoldering out, a tendril of smoke climbing towards the sky. Next to it he saw Lorna, laying down on her side, her injured leg propped up slightly. She was asleep, her green hair falling loosely around her and sinking back into the ground like roots.

Alex swallowed, the sudden sight of her almost too much.

"You really didn't get very far," he said.

His voice came out cruel and cold. He wanted it that way. Alex watched as Lorna opened her eyes and pushed herself up, looking blearily up at him.

"Alex?" she asked, "What are you doing here?"

The innocent confusion in her voice sent more cold through him. He wanted to let the red light consume him, if for nothing else than to feel something warm.

"You left," he said.

Lorna looked around her. Her shoulders sagged as she looked at the sky.

"It's morning," she said.

"You're damn right it's morning," Alex said.

Lorna blinked, looking taken aback. His hands clenched into fists. Alex stared at her as her lips parted in surprise, lips that he had kissed, surrounded by a face he had caressed. The memory made his voice choke when he spoke.

"You lied," he said.

"Alex-" Lorna started.

"You lied!" he said.

She drew back and Alex could feel his breath coming out. It was warm, but the look of surprise on her face burned him. The despair began catching up, and it was all he could do to keep standing.

"I understand if you want to go back to your family," he said, "I do. I thought that...I thought that what you believed would win in the end. But...I understand."

Lorna opened her mouth, but he couldn't let her stop him. He might never be able to start again if she did.

"For so long I thought that keeping certain things to myself would keep me from hurting quite so much. But what I'm feeling right now, it can't get any worse," Alex said, "It really can't. Or maybe, maybe I thought that not saying it would keep me from pretending it could happen. That didn't work either."

Her eyes had widened, her lips still open as though she would stop him. Perhaps she believed the lie that he did and was trying to protect herself. It wouldn't help though, so he couldn't afford to let her speak. It was time to set them both free.

"There has been times when you when I've felt so miserable, like there was no reason in getting up, in doing anything," he said, "But there have also been times that I've felt happier than I ever had in my life. And just being around you, just listening to you laugh...it's...I've never felt that before."

He took a deep breath.

"I love you," he said, "I love you so much. And if you don't say it back, don't even acknowledge it before you walk out of my life, then that's okay. I know you too well to think this will make you change your mind. But..."

Alex looked at her, the tears in his eyes burning him, letting more warmth flood him. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. In a strange way he was glad. He didn't want the only one to be affected, to be hurt by the loss of what they could have had.

"...please just say goodbye," he said.

Silence stretched out between them. Lorna got slowly up to her feet and walked towards them. Her hands touched each side of his head. He wanted to pull her to him, but it felt as though all strength had left him.

"Alex, I didn't come here because I was leaving," she said.

He stared at her, uncertain.

"What?" he asked.

His voice came out weak, and he hated it. Lorna shook her head, a small smile on her lips.

"When you break with the past," she said, "Sometimes it's best to make that a clean break. Burning bridges so to speak."

Her eyes slid to the smoldering fire. Alex narrowed his eyes in concentration, trying to comprehend what she was telling him. As he did he saw fragments of purple cloth in the fire. He turned back to her, his breath ragged.

"You burned your coat," he said.

She nodded.

"I'm not Magnetrix anymore, and I needed to do something to remember that," she said, "It was my family or my soul. And...and I chose my soul. I suppose it makes me selfish."

"It makes you brave," Alex said.

His words felt clumsy. Lorna laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. He reached out tentatively and wrapped his own arms around her waist. He shifted his balance, trying to allow her to take weight off her injured foot.

"What makes me selfish is that I'm happy, even though I know what this must have done to you," he said.

"I cried plenty last night," Lorna said, her voice soft, "And I know I'll cry more later. But for right now..."

She gave him a small shrug.

"And Alex, don't worry. I would never leave without saying goodbye," Lorna said.

She smiled, the expression tinged with sadness.

"Because I love you," she said.

Before Alex said anything she kissed him. He nearly collapsed. She had never started any of their kisses before. It wasn't like any of the urgent kisses they had shared in the past. It was soft, slow, as though they had all the time in the world. The thought made him smile: they did now.

He returned it, tasting the tears that had rolled from their eyes, feeling them mingle, feeling her warmth banish the last of the cold from him. He pulled her closer to him, tightening his grip. He finally had her, and he was never going to let her go.


	26. Chapter 26

May 2, 1975

"What?" Charles asked.

Magnetrix, or Lorna as she had asked him to call her, stood in front of his desk. Her back was straight and her face was calm and serious. Her crutches had been propped up against the wall. Charles knew it would be better if she leaned on them, but she'd refused to sit or use them. He'd recognized that pride from Erik, but if what she was saying was true then she wasn't quite like him.

Alex stood behind her, gazing at her with something Charles could only describe as admiration. Charles felt at a loss looking between the two of them. He had an awful feeling that something else was going on, something he didn't quite understand. They would probably tell him soon. He dreaded it.

Moira stood next to him, her fingertips brushing his shoulder. Alex had told Charles that she should probably be there too. Moira hadn't wanted to be around Lorna, but she had agreed and now, with them all in the same room together, Charles could only feel dismay.

He couldn't help but draw strength from her touch. He knew that they were in for a difficult day.

"I want to stay here, if you'll let me," Lorna said.

"Yes, I understood that," Charles said.

One of the things that had shocked him was how thorough, how well-thought her words had been. Her voice had barely shaken, but it was enough for him to feel that she was sincere. Somehow that made it worse.

"But...when did you decide this?" he asked.

Lorna swallowed.

"Last night," she said.

Charles shifted slightly.

"And...how long have you considered this?" Charles asked, "This isn't a decision to take lightly."

"I've been considering this for over a year," Lorna said, "Last night was when I...it was when I realized that I didn't have any choice."

Charles frowned.

"No choice?" he asked.

"Not if I wanted to keep my soul," Lorna said.

Behind her Alex nodded. Charles could see the admiration glowing brighter in his expression, and the ripple of anxiety grew stronger in his heart.

"I see," Charles said.

"I know that this will make things difficult," Lorna said, "Which is why I'm here, to ask for your permission. I want to do things properly."

"Have you talked to your father about this?" Charles asked.

He knew he was stalling, but he felt at a loss for words. Lorna flinched slightly, and he knew the answer.

"No," she said, "I planned on doing that tomorrow. Once I know for sure whether I'll be allowed to stay here or not."

Charles frowned.

"And if I refuse your request?" he asked.

Alex started forwards, his eyes fixed in a glare. Charles held up a hand.

"I'm not saying that I am withholding or giving my permission," he said, "I was merely curious."

He nodded at Lorna.

"Please, continue," he said.

Lorna nodded, her hands hanging rigidly at her sides.

"I would go to Connecticut," she said, "Try to figure out what to do from there."

She gave him a level look.

"No matter what, I can't go back to my father, back to the Brotherhood," she said, "I can't...I can't. Never again."

Charles nodded, trying to weigh the matter in his mind. He could almost feel his body temperature dropping as Lorna's words finally sunk in. She was serious. Erik's daughter was asking for sanctuary at the Institute, for an opportunity to become an X-man.

"Lorna, I'm going to have to make a request of you," he said.

Lorna nodded, her eyes still locked with his. Her gaze reminded him so much of Erik's frank, honest arrogance that it was uncanny.

"I would like to look into your mind," he said.

"You're doing mental screening for recruits now?" Alex asked.

"For ones who are affiliated with the Brotherhood, yes," Moira said.

Alex crossed his arms, his glance flickering from Lorna to Charles.

"Alex, if it were up to me than I believe that I might take her at her word," he said, "But if she is allowed to stay here she will be met with hostility. I believe that it might be possible to diffuse some of that hostility if I assure them that I saw that there was no ill intent in her mind."

For a moment he thought Alex was going to argue, but he didn't say anything. Charles turned back to Lorna who had gone rigid.

"Do I have your permission?" he asked.

Lorna hesitated, but swallowed.

"Yes," she said.

Charles closed his eyes and, as gently as possible, sifted through Lorna's thoughts. It was easier to search someone's mind once they had opened it to him. As time went by he could feel his heart sink slightly. Part of him had been hoping for signs of deceit, signs that she was part of some cruel plan. It would be easier to deal with that way.

Instead he only saw an honest, though painful, desire to break with the Brotherhood. She had struggled with her emotions, and now she had overcome them to make a difficult decision. He opened his eyes and glanced over at Moira. He didn't need to say anything: he could tell she understood. She looked amazed, and he couldn't blame her. It seemed too incredible to be true.

His head pounded with it all. He looked up again at Lorna and saw her wobble slightly. It wasn't with fear though: he could recognize that so much time spent standing on her injured foot had caused trouble. It was impressive how long she had managed to hold it at bay, but it wasn't possible for her to continue forever.

He was about to suggest that she take a seat when Alex moved forwards. He grasped Lorna's hand and murmured something to her. A moment later she leaned on his shoulder. One of Alex's arms wrapped around her waist. Alex looked at Lorna, their gaze so intimate that Charles couldn't mistake it. His hands gripped the armrests of his wheelchair and he heard Moira breathe in.

"Is there something else you want to tell us?" he asked.

Alex looked at Charles. It was dismaying how serious his eyes were.

"We're together," he said.

Charles felt one of his nails crack as he gripped the wheelchair armrests even tighter. Lorna looked down slightly, a soft smile crossing her face. Charles felt like hitting his head on the desk in front of him.

"When did this happen?" Moira asked.

Charles was grateful she'd asked. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to.

"It's been happening very gradually," Alex said.

"I can imagine," Moira said.

Charles could hear her voice crack slightly. He looked at the two of them.

"This is...a lot to take in," Charles said.

"I understand," Alex said, "But, Charles, Moira, none of this was done lightly."

"No, I suppose it wasn't," he said.

Charles kept his eyes fixed on Alex and Lorna, although he reached out to his wife's mind.

_Moira, he's serious about this. He loves her. She loves him._

_How much?_ Moira thought.

_Very much,_ Charles thought back, _They're not going to be parted from each other, and I won't be able to talk them out of it._

_Did you read his mind?_

_No, his eyes,_ Charles thought.

He hesitated.

_It's the same look you had when you came back to the Institute,_ Charles thought.

His wife didn't respond. He risked a glance at her and saw that she was staring at Alex and Lorna. Her eyes were softer than they had been when she had first seen Lorna. He didn't know what it meant, besides the fact that she was remembering a day long ago when she had marched into the Institute and demanded to speak with him.

Charles looked back at Alex and Lorna.

"Understand that your father will not be happy with any of this," Charles said.

Alex's face hardened but Lorna just nodded.

"I know that I'm never going to go back to the places where I was raised," she said, "I hope that he will understand, that my whole family might understand and that they might still talk to me, but I doubt it. I've accepted that. And I've accepted that they won't approve of who I've chosen either."

She squeezed Alex's hand once more before she let go and leaned away from him.

"But I'm not doing this because of Alex," she said, "I'm doing this because I can't fight for something that I don't believe in anymore. And I know that...if I don't believe in something, if I don't think it's right, I have to fight it."

Lorna took a deep breath.

"And that's why I want to be here," she said, "It's nothing to do with Alex. Although, truth be told..."

She turned to Alex and her face softened.

"I'm glad he's here," she said.

Alex grinned at her and she grinned back. Charles understood. Alex would be the balm for her wound when she ripped apart her heart to do the right thing. He would never compensate her for losing her family, but her family would have never compensated her for losing him.

_You were right. I can...I can see it too.._

The thought from his wife came almost as a whisper. Charles looked at Moira out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes looked watery and his heart ached.

_Moira, I'm not sure what to do,_ Charles thought.

_I think you know what to do Charles,_ Moira thought.

_I don't. _

_You do,_ Moira thought.

_He's her father. What if we were in his position?_

_I have nightmares about that you know, _Moira thought, _Not so much about David, but about Kurt. If he decides his...if he decides Mystique was right about everything._

In that moment Charles felt a strange protectiveness inside of him. The familiar urge to make his wife happy, but a small something else was there too.

_We won't lose our son_, he thought.

Moira pressed her fingers slightly harder into his shoulder.

_Thank you Charles,_ she thought, _But...we will give them the choice. Lorna had a choice to make, and she made it. Now we have to decide what to do. You know what the right thing is. _

_But Erik-_

_You either incur your friend's fury or you lose Alex and a bit of yourself too if you turn her away,_ Moira thought, _You'll be betraying everything this school was founded on. And you will regret it forever._

Charles took a deep breath. Alex and Lorna were still in front of him. He wondered if this was how Priam, the last King of Troy, felt as his son Paris walked into the city with Helen. Helen had charmed the Trojans with her beauty: Lorna was charming them with her sincerity and honesty.

Alex might not be his son, but Charles had helped him become the man that stood before him. If that wasn't a kind of fatherhood, then he didn't know what was. He wondered if Priam had seen the destruction Helen would bring but, instead of being blinded by her beauty, had instead wanted to protect his son. Helen's motives for staying were different from Lorna's, but he knew that neither of them would willingly leave.

In the end the walls of Troy had burned. Lorna wasn't Helen though, and Alex was not Paris. They were better, stronger people. Moira had been right: he knew that the choice was clear. He could either cling to the dead husk of an old friendship and destroy two lives in the process, or let free will have its say and reaffirm his beliefs.

Moira's hand slid down and he grasped it.

"You can stay," Charles said.

Lorna's face lit up and she laughed, a choked sound. Alex wrapped his arms around her waist and looked at Charles, his eyes shining as though his faith had been rewarded.

Charles just grasped Moira's hand tighter. One way or another a storm was coming.


	27. Chapter 27

May 2, 1975

Lorna stood inside the payphone outside a diner in the town a few miles from the Institute. She couldn't make the call to her father from inside the Institute: it would give away too much too fast. She didn't think that there was any way to ease him into it, but this would have to do.

She had talked over what she planned to do with Alex, the Professor, and the Professor's wife. Lorna had wanted to tell her father what had happened face-to-face. He deserved that. Alex had looked uneasy, but Charles had suggested an area near, but not too near, the Institute for privacy. Lorna had accepted gratefully. The phone call was just to set the meeting up.

She cradled the phone next to her ear as the operator connected her to the secure line the Brotherhood used. To anyone who didn't know the right connection it was just a business line. Lorna glanced out of the glass booth at the car that had driven her down. Alex was still seated in the driver's seat. He gave her an encouraging thumbs-up and Lorna managed a weak grin.

On the other end of the phone she heard someone pick up.

"Janos? No way you're checking in so soon."

It was Angel's voice. Lorna nearly cried at the sound of it.

"Angel, it's Lorna."

She heard Angel gasp. Lorna could hear the pure delight in her voice.

"Oh my God, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine Angel, just fine," Lorna said.

"We were going to send Emma out to look for you but your father said you needed time," Angel said, "It wasn't that we weren't worried but-"

"It's okay," Lorna said, feeling tears in her eyes, "It's really okay. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Well, you did, but it doesn't matter right now," Angel said, "You probably want to talk to Mags right? Just, stay where you are, okay? I'll be back in a minute."

Before Lorna could answer she heard Angel set the phone down. The sound of hurried footsteps accompanied it. Lorna put her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. Her fingernails dug into her lips. She wasn't ready to talk to her father, wasn't ready at all.

All too soon she could hear more hurrying footsteps, these ones heavy but quick. The phone was snatched up, giving a strange, shaking noise. Were her father's hands trembling? She didn't know: her hands certainly were.

"Lorna?"

Her father's voice was a touch desperate. Lorna found herself smiling. Despite everything that had happened, everything that would happen, he was her father. She couldn't help being happy that he was talking to her in a way that reminded her of how things had been before she'd known the truth.

"I'm here father," she said.

"Thank God," her father said, "We were worried Lorna. I just...when I found you gone..."

"I know," she murmured, "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter."

It did matter, but she didn't trust herself to correct her father.

"Lorna, listen to me," her father said, "I know I was a little harsh with what happened with the mimic, but Lorna...no, never mind. I shouldn't have raised my voice. I shouldn't have relieved you of command-"

"Father, it's alright," Lorna said.

"Lorna-"

"It's alright," Lorna said.

It was a lie, but Lorna didn't want what could very well be her last semi-normal conversation with her father to be full of apologies. The old pain could be swept aside. Lorna would need it to make room for the harsher, deeper pain that she knew was coming. Besides that, he couldn't think that she left over that incident.

"Lorna, I've missed you," he said.

"I've missed you too," Lorna said.

She could feel her tears spilling over, but she had to keep going.

"Where are you? We can come and get you," her father said.

"I'd prefer...I'd rather you wouldn't," Lorna said.

Her father was silent for a moment.

"You're just checking in then?" he said.

"No," Lorna said, "I...I would like it if you would meet me somewhere. Just...I don't want to talk over the telephone about all of this."

She laughed even as the tears streamed down her face.

"And I'm running out of quarters," she said.

Her father laughed.

"Alright Lorna," he said, his tone indulgent, "Where?"

She gave him the address.

"That's awfully close to the Institute," he said.

"It's okay," she said, "They don't mind."

Too late she realized her mistake.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice suspicious.

"It's no big deal," Lorna said, "But where do you think I got the quarters from in the first place?"

"I see," her father said.

His tone had relaxed a little, but not entirely.

"When do you want me there?" he asked.

"As soon as possible," Lorna said.

"Well then, in that case I should be there tomorrow morning," he said, "How does ten work for you? We could always do midnight tonight but-"

She leaned against the cool glass of the phone booth. She could tell that he was smiling. He always used that tone when he was smiling.

"Ten sounds great," Lorna said.

"In that case will see you then," he said, "I love you Lorna."

"I love you too Dad," she said, "Very much."

She tried to pour as much of herself into those words as possible. It might be the last time that he believed them. When the other end of the phone went dead Lorna stood still for another moment, the phone pressed up against her face.

Lorna hung up and left the phone booth. Alex got out of the car. She stopped when she reached him.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"I'm seeing him at ten tomorrow," she said.

"Alright," he said.

Lorna closed her eyes and leaned in until her forehead touched Alex's chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"It's going to be alright," he said, "We all have our battles to fight."

* * *

Alex rubbed his eyes as he closed the door to Lorna's room in the med bay. They were going to have to look into finding a permanent room for her soon. She was one of them now, and that meant that she was going to be treated as such. Accommodations were easier to deal with than people: he knew he'd have to be dealing with plenty those in the days to come.

"So I take it you convinced her to come back?"

Alex turned. Scott was standing behind him, his arms crossed and his lips pressed together. Alex managed a smile, even if he really didn't feel like talking to his brother at the moment. He didn't really feel like talking to anyone, but he should talk to Scott. Besides Charles, Moira, and Sean, who he would have to try and call later, he was the only one who knew about his personal involvement with Lorna.

"No," Alex said, "She just wanted some time outside of the Institute. She was always planning on coming back."

He smiled. Of all the things that had happened that day, all the things that he knew were probably coming, he couldn't help but smile at the memory of that morning.

"She's decided to stay," he said.

Scott shifted his feet.

"And you believe her?" he asked.

Alex closed his eyes for a moment. It looked like he was going to have to start defending her much sooner than he'd planned. He'd just hoped that he wouldn't have to defend the woman he loved to his brother.

"Yes," he said, opening his eyes again, "Yes I do."

"Are you sure it's not just because you want to?" Scott said.

"Right, yeah, because I've made such a habit of believing things because they're convenient," Alex said.

Scott put his hands up.

"Don't get angry," he said, "This is all just a little too good to be true. That's all."

"No, me thinking that you understood was a little too good to be true," Alex said.

He threw his arms out.

"Scott, this is me we're talking about," he said, "I told you everything because I knew you would know that I'm not an idiot. I knew you knew me better to think that I was just throwing everything away because I got tricked by a pretty face."

Scott looked down, shuffling his feet again.

"Alex, I do know you better than that. I just don't want you to get hurt," he said.

"Yeah, I've heard that," Alex said, "I've heard that from you, I've heard that from Sean, Charles and Moira were practically screaming it with their eyes, and Hank would probably say it too if he knew what was going on. But Scott-"

He put his hands on his brother's shoulders.

"I'm not going to get hurt," he said, "She loves me, just as much as I love her. And Scott, she's the only one who stands to lose from what's happening between the two of that."

"I doubt that," Scott said.

Alex hesitated.

"Scott, you should meet her," he said.

His brother stiffened.

"I'm...I'm not...what?" he asked.

"Not now: she's had a tough morning and she's resting. But you should meet her," Alex said, "Really meet her. Not just look at her or try to avoid getting punched by her. Meet Lorna. Not Magnetrix."

His brother relaxed slightly and smiled.

"It's kind of weird that we have to differentiate," Scott said.

"So you'll do it?" Alex said.

"Of course I will," Scott said, straightening, "I mean, you're right. You're not an idiot."

He grinned.

"At least when it comes to stuff like this."

"Watch it," Alex said, punching Scott in the shoulder.

Scott laughed, and then paused. He shook his head.

"Alex, how are we going to tell the others?" he asked.

Alex sighed. He put his arm around Scott's shoulder and the two of them began to walk away from Lorna's room. There were better places to discuss things. Scott still kept his head titled towards him as they passed Annie, who had been both grateful and irritated to have her patient back. He had told her that she would be staying on as an X-man, but not to tell anyone yet. She'd been shocked, but had been silenced when he'd told her that Charles had looked into her mind. It really had been a blessing that he'd done so.

After they left the med bay Alex steered Scott towards the Danger room. He unlocked it and they stepped inside. No one would be there for a few hours.

"Do you even have a plan?" Scott asked.

"Not quite. But I know it's going to be difficult," he said, "They're not going to like it, Ororo especially. You know what she's like when she gets angry."

"Unfortunately," Scott said.

"I was planning on doing it today," Alex said, "The sooner the better. She'll break the news to her father tomorrow about her choice. The least we can do is have our people in the know."

Scott nodded.

"I don't feel comfortable with that though," he said, "I don't think he's going to take it calmly."

"Neither do I," Alex said, "But he does deserve to know."

"I guess," Scott said.

His brother shook his head again.

"I don't like having him involved," he said.

"Magneto's still her father," Alex said, "And she still cares about him. She doesn't believe in his cause anymore. She just needs to say goodbye."

Scott sighed and looked around the Danger Room.

"If that's all, then alright," he said, "But do you think he's going to try something?"

"Lorna doesn't think so," Alex said, "But I'm going to be on the safe side. I figured you and I could figure something out."

Scott rubbed the back of his neck.

"When did everything become so damn complicated?" he asked.

Alex could only sigh.

"Much further back than you realize," he said.


	28. Chapter 28

May 2, 1975

"No way in hell!"

"Is this a joke?"

Alex stood in front of the X-men, his hands clenched tightly to his chest. He'd expected nothing less of their reaction. Their words were harsh, their expressions worse.

Scott looked to him for guidance and he made a slight gesture for him to stay silent. He wanted to give them an opportunity to let it all out before he began speaking in Lorna's defense. Scott alone knew the full extent of the situation. Alex would give the rest of the X-men some time before officially announcing his relationship with Lorna. They had to accept her coming to Westchester first.

He had known that they were going to be difficult to convince, and they were the only ones who'd need to be convinced. The rest of the Institute was ignorant of the existence of the Brotherhood. To them Lorna would just be another mutant in need, coming into the school and seeking her GED. It almost made him smile to think of the way Charles had started talking to her about her education after he accepted her. He'd known he could count on him.

Charles had asked if he'd wanted him to take over telling the X-men. Alex had elected to do it himself. He wanted them to know exactly where his sympathies lay. He'd tell Sean and Hank too, although he knew they would be more understanding than the X-men.

He took in each of them. Ororo and Warren were the ones shouting. Alex wondered if they would ever find a way to tame Ororo's temper. Warren was angry, his own distrust in the world bleeding out. There was no give in their expressions, in the way they stood. They would be the worst.

Jean and Clarice remained silent, but that didn't mean they approved. He could see shocked worry on Jean's face. She was too sweet to be outright angry, but she was worried. Clarice was impassive, but she often was. If he concentrated then he could see a flicker of suspicion there. She was waiting for the rest, waiting for his justification. At least she was waiting.

Alex continued to remain silent, trying to tell himself that they didn't understand yet. He would make them understand though, and he didn't care how long it took. Lorna had honestly asked to be one of them, and for that alone she deserved his protection. She was also the woman he loved though, and that meant that she deserved everything in the world.

He waited as their tirade carried on. After a few minutes their voices died, perhaps realizing that he wasn't paying them any attention. When it was again silent he folded his arms.

"Your reactions were interesting," he said, "The word hypocritical comes to mind."

"What the hell?" Warren said, "We're not hypocritical! We're nothing like-"

"Except you are," Alex said, "Think about this."

He spread his hands out.

"We talk a lot about how we're better than the Brotherhood because we don't judge, because we trust in the goodness in people," he said, "That's pretty much our whole basis, that we believe that, in the end, people will do the right thing. We talk a lot about second chances, and some of you understand that. But it also appears that some of you don't. I'm a second chance myself."

He thumped his chest.

"I had a rap sheet at fifteen, and it was pretty long," Alex said, "And I was still recruited to be an X-man, given a second chance, and my life changed."

"But you weren't Brotherhood," Ororo said.

"No, I wasn't," Alex said, "But I wasn't perfect. None of us are. We're all capable of making mistakes. It's what we do after we make mistakes that defines us."

"Mistake doesn't cover it," Warren said.

"Warren's right," Jean said, her voice timid, "It wasn't one incident. She's been fighting us for years now."

Scott looked at Jean, his mouth open. He could see Scott was disappointed. Alex shook his head, and Scott shut his mouth again. He saw Clarice blink, but her face remained the same.

"You're right Jean, she has been fighting us for years," Alex said, "And she doesn't want to anymore."

"This is probably just some trick of her father's," Ororo said.

"The Professor read her mind," Alex said, his tone cool, "She couldn't lie. Not to him."

Ororo lapsed into a sullen silence. Once again Alex could see that Charles had been right.

"And if her father comes for her?" Clarice asked, her voice quiet.

Alex sighed. He'd been dreading the question, and it figured that Clarice would be the one to ask it.

"She's meeting him tomorrow at ten to tell him about her decision," Alex said, "After that she's going to start taking GED classes and assisting with some of the clerical work. Soon after we'll start trying to integrate her with the team."

He saw almost all of them stiffen at that. Ororo wanted to protest, he could tell, but Clarice cut in first.

"And if he decides he doesn't want her to join?" Clarice said.

"Lorna can make her own choices," Alex said.

"It's Lorna now?" Warren groaned.

"You're damn right it is," Alex snapped.

Warren took a step back. Ororo really looked like she wanted to say something but, once again, Clarice began speaking.

"And if he decides that she can't make her own choices?" she asked.

Alex took a deep breath. He didn't want to imagine that outcome, but he had an answer none the less.

"Lorna doesn't think he will," Alex said, "But if he does, then we defend her. Defend her like she's one of ours."

He gave them all a hard look.

"Because that's what she is now: one of ours," he said, "And don't you dare forget it."

* * *

Clarice knocked on the door to Alex's office. She shifted nervously from foot to foot. She hated most forms of confrontation, and after that morning she wasn't sure it was the time for it, but it had gone on for long enough.

"What?"

She took a deep breath and then opened the door. Alex looked up. Scott was with him. The two of them had been talking in hushed voices, but they stopped when Clarice came in.

"I didn't say you could come in," Alex said.

"I'm sorry," Clarice said, "but we need to talk."

Alex's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not discussing Lorna right now," he said, "I am done arguing about this."

Although Clarice knew that her face was impassive, she couldn't help but feel her heart rising into her throat. She hadn't expected Scott to be there too, and their eyes on her were unnerving. Still, it needed to be said.

"I think that Calvin should be informed that he's been accepted into the X-men," Clarice said.

Scott's mouth opened slightly. Alex stared at her as though she'd just asked about the plumbing when the house was on fire. She supposed it was accurate.

"You're worried about that?" he asked.

"Of course I am," Clarice said, "I'm sure you have your reasons for postponing it, I have an idea of what they are now, but he does need to know. The decision was made several days ago, and I have yet to see him in the Danger Room."

Alex leaned back in his chair. Scott had cocked his head, but he was silent. He usually was in his brother's presence. Clarice didn't really care. It wasn't Scott she was concerned about at the moment.

"Clarice, why is this so important to you?" he asked.

"Why did you take Lorna's side?" Clarice asked.

Inwardly she winced: it was far too disrespectful. At least she hadn't said Magnetrix. However, Alex didn't start shouting. She was grateful. Clarice hated shouting. It had reminded her too much of her time in the lab. It had been difficult enough to deal with the argument in the Danger Room.

"I seriously doubt our reasons are the same," Alex said.

"I think they're similar," Clarice said.

She straightened.

"We both believe in people that others don't," Clarice said, "I believe in Calvin because I can see that he really wants to change. I admire that. I think that the X-men will help him."

She met Alex's gaze.

"I don't know why you believe in Lorna," Clarice said, "But it's the same thing for her: you think she belongs here, don't you?"

Alex didn't say anything for a moment. Then he reached over his desk and pushed an intercom button.

"Mr. Guthrie?" Alex said, "Could you send Calvin up?"

"Sure thing."

Alex removed his hand from the intercom button.

"Do we have time for this?" Scott asked.

"Probably not," Alex said, "But Clarice is right. We've delayed it for too long."

She smiled.

"I'll leave," she said.

"No, you're going to be here," Alex said.

"What?" Clarice asked.

"Normally it'd just be Scott, but you recommended him," Alex said, "I think he should know that. The Professor's in class right now, and there won't be time later. He's already given his approval."

Clarice swallowed, feeling herself tremble inwardly. She knew she was stone on the outside: she'd been that way for so long. Still, she didn't teleport out. She took a deep breath and struggled to control herself. There was no reason to feel scared.

"One question though," Alex said.

Clarice tilted her head.

"Why do you trust me believing in Lorna?" he asked.

She smiled again. At least it was an easy question.

"You believed in all of us, didn't you?" Clarice asked.

A smile slowly spread over Alex's face. Clarice couldn't help but feel that she had passed some sort of test. She wanted to ask what it was, but there was a knock on the door. Her heart began thudding again and she stepped to the side. Clarice didn't want to be in the limelight.

"Come in," Alex said.

Calvin stepped in, looking nervous. His eyes darted from Scott to Clarice and settled on Alex.

"I haven't done anything sir," he said, "I really, really haven't. And if this is about my grade in geography then it's almost a C average and I've really been studying for the next test-"

"Whoa, Calvin," Alex said, holding up a hand and looking amused, "You're not in trouble."

Calvin paused.

"I'm not?" he asked.

"No," Alex said.

He tapped his hand on the desk.

"Calvin, because of the...rather unique way you came to us, you know that there's another side to this school," he said.

"I haven't told anyone," Calvin said.

"Didn't I say you weren't in trouble?" Alex said.

His voice was no longer amused. Instead it was gentle, understanding. Clarice couldn't help but admire him for that. He was the kind of person she would put her faith in. And if that person said that a member of the Brotherhood wanted to turn her life around, then she could trust that.

"I was simply going to tell you about the X-men," Alex said, "It's what we call ourselves. We fight the people who kidnapped you, and anyone else who would try to take advantage of our kind or threaten our coexistence with humanity. It's not always combat related, you'd be surprised at the diplomatic channels that our open to us now, but it often is."

Calvin swallowed.

"I...um, I know a little about that," he said.

"I suppose so," Alex said, "As I said, recruitment doesn't usually happen that way. But I called you to the office to see if you would be interested in joining us."

Calvin stared at him. Clarice saw his gaze look over at Scott and Clarice again, perhaps trying to figure out if they were joking. Alex followed his gaze.

"Scott is my second-in-command. He goes by the codename Cyclops," Alex said, "Clarice is one of our longest running team members, and her codename is Blink. Mine is Havok, and I'm the field leader. The Professor, known as Professor X if we have to say it over the radio, is the overall commander."

Alex smiled.

"Normally he'd be here too but, well, today's uncommonly busy," he said, "A word of warning: it's a lot of work, and it can be very dangerous. I don't want you to rush into this lightly, so of course you can have some time to think it over-"

"It was very violent where I came from," Calvin said.

His words rushed out, almost as though he were afraid of them. Clarice turned her head to him. He didn't look scared though, just uncertain. She understood.

"As it was where I came from, though in different ways," Clarice said, her voice soft, "But sometimes we have to take up arms to stop the people who hurt us from hurting others."

Calvin turned and stared at her. Looking around she could tell that everyone else was too. It made her uncomfortable. One of her hands began forming a crystal so she could teleport away, but she stopped it before it became noticeable. Alex must have noticed though, because he cleared his throat.

"You can quit any time you like," Alex said, "And no one will force you to do it."

Calvin hesitated. He looked around the room again.

"Why me?" he asked, "Why would you want me?"

Alex didn't even pause.

"You're strong, capable, and your mutation is conducive to combat," he said, "But none of these things would matter if we didn't trust you."

Calvin swallowed and Alex smiled.

"You also had the recommendation of one of our members."

Calvin's eyes immediately went to Scott, who regretfully shook his head and gestured to Clarice. Calvin turned to look at her, his eyes wide. It was a strange expression on his face: gratitude, curiosity, and something else. It reminded her of his smile when they'd met outside the Institute.

"I would like some time to think about it," he said.

"I understand," Alex said.

Calvin closed his eyes for a moment.

"But...either way, thanks."

"There's no pressure-" Alex said.

"No," Calvin said.

He looked around the room one last time, his eyes flickering past Clarice with that strange look again.

"I mean it," he said, "Thanks."


	29. Chapter 29

May 2, 1975

Lorna looked aimlessly at the hallway. The clock on the wall said it was ten at night. That meant that she had bean lost for twenty minutes. The first time she was allowed out of med-bay and she got lost. She had just been looking for Alex: he'd promised to visit her but he was late. She kept replaying the words she'd told her father over and over again, and every clock looked like it was counting down to ten the next morning.

She closed her eyes for a few minutes. She'd just needed someone to talk to, and Alex was the only one she knew who would understand her. Lorna didn't really know anyone else, and she knew that some people in Westchester were definitely hostile to her. She couldn't blame them, but still.

Lorna leaned on her crutches and looked around. She was pretty sure that she had passed the lobby. She knew she should have paid more attention to where she was going, but she had allowed her mind wander. It was difficult to stay focused with everything that had been happening.

"Hey!"

Lorna turned around and saw Ororo, as Alex had told her, standing a few steps behind her, clad in her pajamas and looking furious. Lorna sighed.

"Yes?" she asked.

"What are you doing up here?" Ororo asked.

Lorna shrugged. There was no point in lying now.

"Got lost," she said.

"Right," Ororo snorted.

Lorna looked at the teenager, the way she was glaring at her. Vaguely Lorna remembered the time that Mystique had come into her practice room, absolutely itching for a fight. There was no chance that she would be able to put Ororo's arm in a death grip though. As tempting as it was, it would be a bad way to start her life at Westchester.

"I wasn't paying attention," Lorna said.

"Yeah, well these are the students' rooms," Ororo said, "If they knew who you were they wouldn't want you around here, alright? So stay the hell away."

Lorna gave her a frank look. She had expected some hostility, but not quite so soon. Still, she was staying there. She would have to establish strong roots at one point or another.

"You can talk down to me all you want," Lorna said, "You can scream and shout, and call me all sorts of names, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm going to be living here now. You can hate me as much as you want, but it won't change anything."

Ororo glared at her, her face flushing.

"Why the hell can't you just go back to your father and leave us in peace?" she said.

Lorna continued looking at her.

"Because I can't," she said.

"You can and you should," Ororo said.

"I can't," Lorna said.

"That's not an answer," Ororo said.

"And that's not an argument," Lorna said.

"And you're-" Ororo said.

"Our newest resident."

Lorna looked over and saw the Professor's wife walk into the hall. Her face was pleasant but her eyes were hard. Even though she was wearing a nightgown and a bathrobe she still exuded the air of a woman with authority. She put her hand on Ororo's shoulder. Ororo gave her a worried look, and the Professor's wife turned her smile towards her.

"I'm sure Alex already talked about her," she said, "Didn't he?"

Ororo nodded, her fists clenched.

"Now, I know you have an early class tomorrow," the Professor's wife said, "You wouldn't want to be too tired, now would you?"

Ororo glared at Lorna one last time before she hurried down the hall. The Professor's wife watched her.

"She's quite sharp really," the Professor's wife said, "Brilliant in the field. Always very eager to prove herself. A little too eager sometimes."

The Professor's wife sighed.

"I'm sorry about that Lorna," she said.

"I expected it," Lorna said, "Don't worry Mrs. Xavier."

"Moira, please," she said.

Lorna shifted on her crutches.

"Alright," she said.

Moira looked at her, her eyes flicking from her feet to her face. Lorna wondered what it was she was looking for. When Moira stopped looking at her she crossed her arms.

"Lorna, I don't really know you very well," Moira said, "But I think that you're very brave for what you're doing."

Lorna swallowed.

"Thank you," she said.

Moira smiled quickly before she looked briefly at the floor.

"The thing is, and I'm sure you know this," Moira said, "Alex's parents died when he was thirteen."

Lorna shifted on her crutches, feeling unsure about the conversation. The feelings of uncertainty were soon replaced with sadness. She knew what it was like to lose a parent when she was young. The reminder brought into perspective that she might lose another the next day.

"I didn't know that it happened when he was thirteen," Lorna said.

Moira nodded.

"And, two years later, he came to the Institute," Moira said, "He's been here ever since. And, well..."

She gave a small smile.

"It makes Charles and I feel rather responsible for him," she said.

Lorna blinked, suddenly understanding. She had no idea how she hadn't seen it earlier. The Professor and Moira had been practically raising Alex since he was in his mid-teens, surrogate parents to him, to Sean and Hank, to the numerous students in the Institute. It might be a slightly distant influence for some, but for their first students their connection was iron.

She didn't know what the situation between Hank and Sean and their parents were, but Alex didn't have any. He'd told her stories about how he'd all but raised his brother when they were reunited. He'd been too young to take on that responsibility, but she realized that he'd talked so much about the Professor and Moira because they had helped so much.

They had stepped in and been there for him when his burdens had increased. So he'd fought to shoulder even more burdens, become more capable. There was a reason why he'd become field leader of the X-men at such a young age. It wasn't just that he wanted to turn his life around. He hadn't wanted to let down his surrogate parents.

Lorna could only stare at her. Moira laughed.

"This is kind of awkward," she said, "I'd thought that I would have a few more years before I would have to give the standard parent to girlfriend talk. I mean, Sean and Maeve were so confident and Hank and Carly..."

She shrugged.

"Let's just say that your situation is different," Moira said.

Lorna swallowed.

"It is," she said.

Moira gave her a gentle smile.

"Don't look so nervous," she said, "This isn't a dressing down. I just...I just want to make sure that you and Alex are going to be, well, I just want you to understand."

She took a deep breath.

"Lorna, I don't know a delicate way to say this, but I know that your father has anger issues," Moira said, "I've seen that."

One of Moira's hands went to her throat. Lorna wondered why, even as she felt her heart sinking. What had her father done to Moira? What else didn't she know?

She supposed it wasn't important, not since she already knew how he would justify it.

"I know that the situation tomorrow can get out of control," Moira said.

"Moira, listen," Lorna said, knowing how rushed her voice sounded, "I know my father can be volatile. I know he can make bad decisions."

She shifted her crutches so she could stand up straighter, could show Moira how serious she was.

"But I know that my father loves me," Lorna said, "I know that he'll be angry at me because of what I'm going to do, the decision I made."

Moira's finger stroked her throat and Lorna felt that sinking feeling again. She couldn't show it though. She had to stay strong. Moira was prepared to believe the worst of her father, and from the way she was acting she could tell that there was a reason for that. However, she needed her to understand.

"But he won't hurt me," Lorna said, "He won't turn this into a fight. I trust him."

Moira pulled her hand from her throat and crossed her arms again.

"I just want you to know that Alex is willing to die for you," Moira said.

Tears pricked Lorna's eyes and, when she tried to respond, her voice caught in her throat. It took her a minute to sufficiently master the thoughts that were trying to make themselves heard.

"Why...no one should...no..." Lorna said.

Moira walked forward and put her hand on Lorna's shoulder.

"I know you love him," Moira said, "He's never...Alex is pretty closed off. He's never been like this about someone before. So, remember that he loves you just as much as you love him. Maybe more. And he is willing to die for you."

"I don't want him to die for me!" Lorna said.

Moira smiled softly at her.

"I never said you did," she said, "I just want you to remember that Alex doesn't do anything by halves. He loves you. I just want you to remember that. And, well, hold him back sometimes. You know how he can get."

Lorna nodded, trying to push back the tears in her eyes. Moira gripped her shoulder tighter.

"It's going to be alright," she said.

Footsteps made them both look up. Moira removed her hand just as Alex walked up the stairs. He looked at the two of them and grinned.

"I was looking for you Lorna," he said, "Get lost?"

"Pretty much," Lorna said, "Moira was just telling me where I was."

Alex's grin widened, but she could tell that he was a little confused.

"You're not working late, are you Moira?" Alex asked.

"No, Kurt was fussing," Moira said.

Lorna frowned.

"Kurt?" she asked.

"My younger son," Moira said.

Lorna's frown deepened.

"I didn't know that you had another son," she said.

Moira paused, and then cocked her head. The pause made Lorna feel uneasy.

"We adopted him a few months ago," Moira said, "I'll tell you all about it in a bit. It's kind of a long story, and we should probably all be in bed right now."

She smiled and nodded to them. Lorna took a deep breath and let go of her unease. It had just been a long day. That was all.

"Have a good night," she said.

Lorna smiled back.

"Night Moira," Alex said.

Moira turned around and walked down the hall to what Lorna assumed was the room she shared with her husband. Alex moved closer and slowly wrapped his arm around her, taking some of the weight off of the crutches. She sighed and leaned against him.

"I'm sorry I'm so late," he said, "There was a lot to do downstairs. I really meant to come sooner, but when I got out I couldn't find you."

"It's alright," Lorna said.

She hesitated. His free arm snaked around her waist.

"Actually, can I ask you something Alex?" she said.

"Anything," he said.

She smiled again, remembering Moira's words to her. More than anything, it seemed to emphasize that what she felt for Alex was real. She hadn't changed sides because of her feelings for him, but there was no arguing that she felt it, and now she could indulge it.

"I just...I don't want to spend another night alone in med bay," she said, "I was wondering if I could...um...spend the night in your room.

She felt Alex stiffen slightly. Lorna couldn't tell if it was in shock or disapproval.

"Not like that," Lorna said, knowing how she sounded, "I just...with everything that's been happening, everything that's going to happen..."

She took a deep breath.

"I just don't want to be alone tonight," Lorna said.

There was a pause, and then Alex held her tighter.

"You won't have to be alone tonight," he said, "You won't have to be alone ever again."

Lorna put her hand over the hand on her waist, fighting the urge to cry. It was one of the hardest fights in her life.

"I love you Alex," she said.

"I love you too Lorna," he said.


	30. Chapter 30

May 3, 1975

Alex opened his eyes and looked at Lorna. She was lying next to him, her head tucked beneath his chin. One of her hands rested on his neck, and the other touched his chest. He had one of his arms draped over her shoulders, pulling her close to him. He could feel her breath stirring his face.

They had been made special accommodation for her injured foot: it was why she was lying on her side. That way it was propped up, resting on the other foot. He had made sure she was situated before he had gotten in himself. They hadn't talked: there would be all the time in the world to talk later. That night he'd just held her close, knowing that she needed him.

He couldn't believe this had happened. A month ago he thought he would never have a chance to hear her say she loved him, hold her, just be with her. Now she was sleeping in his arms.

Alex glanced at the clock next to his bed. It was eight in the morning. He groaned. He didn't want to wake her up, to let her go and tell her that today she would have to tell her father she was leaving his cause. Alex didn't want to see the pain on her face.

However, he knew what he had to do. Gently he shook her and she looked blearily up. He gestured to the clock and she sighed, her head falling back on the pillow with a look of resignation. She disentangled herself from him and rolled onto her back. Alex reached out and took her hand. She didn't look at him though: just kept looking at the ceiling.

"Two hours," she murmured.

"Two hours," Alex said.

Lorna swallowed and pushed herself up, her green hair falling along her shoulders. He squeezed her hand.

"I'll be with you," he said, "I'll keep my distance, but I'll be with you. Me, Scott, and Clarice."

Lorna nodded. Alex wished that Charles would come too, but Charles had said that his presence might only serve to exacerbate matters once Lorna explained what was happening. From that perspective, then it probably was better for him to stay away. No one wanted Magneto crying mind control.

He leaned over and kissed the top of her shoulder.

"I'll be with you," he repeated.

"I know," Lorna said.

She turned to him and smiled, even if the expression faltered.

"Thank you," she said.

"Anything I can do," he said.

* * *

Lorna hated the way that Clarice teleported. The sensation she felt was very similar to the way Azazel had teleported, except it wasn't followed by clouds of black smoke. It was because it was similar that it made her hate it, because it was just another reminder that Azazel was gone. Still, it was one less person that she would disappoint with her announcement.

She stepped away from them almost immediately and headed towards the middle of the field. Lorna's foot hurt horribly, but she could feel the pain killers beginning to kick in. She'd refused to use her crutches on the field. Annie had argued with her, but in the end she had gotten away with an ace bandage and a heavy splint. She knew it wasn't good for her foot but, like with Charles, she needed to state her convictions standing.

Lorna waited in the middle of the field. She glanced at her watch. They had five minutes until the appointed meeting time. She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the churning in her stomach. She was nervous. Over a year of debating, fears, tears, and sleepless nights was coming to a head.

She had made the right choice. She knew she had. However, she knew that it was all going to hurt. Lorna couldn't detain the hurt any longer though: there was no real point. The sooner she told her father the sooner she could try to cope with the new life she had chosen.

On the other side of the field she saw movement. Lorna craned her neck without pushing her toes. Her father stepped forward, followed by Emma and Janos. Lorna couldn't help but feel relieved to see the faces of her childhood.

It seemed like only seconds before her father was standing in front of her. He was smiling and Lorna forced herself to smile back. He reached out and hugged her. Lorna hugged him back, closing her eyes.

He released her, but kept his hands on her shoulders. She opened her eyes.

"Lorna, I'm so glad you called," he said.

Lorna managed to keep smiling. Her father looked past her.

"What are they doing here?" he asked, his voice cold.

"We're close to the Institute," Lorna said.

Her father nodded and then gestured to Emma and Janos.

"Come on Lorna," he said, "We can talk more once we get back."

"Actually," Lorna said, feeling her insides turning to lead, "We need to talk now."

Her father frowned and Lorna took a deep breath. She was out of time.

"Father, I'm not going back with you," she said.

His brow furrowed.

"Lorna, I don't understand," he said.

"Father, I love you," Lorna said, "You've given me everything. But Father, I can't do this anymore."

He stared at her, his face confused.

"Do what?" he asked.

She could hear the beginnings of anger in his voice, almost as though she were doing something childish. She had to work fast.

"Over a year ago I started to doubt our cause," Lorna said, "I started looking at how I felt about it, what we were doing. I started trying to figure out what to do about it. And I...I couldn't support some of our methods. Most of them really."

Her father paused, his face becoming stony.

"Is that why you've been so argumentative?" her father asked.

She swallowed.

"I know that's how it's appeared," Lorna said, "But I've been trying to change things to how you told me they were. When I was younger I learned about mutants and how we should fit into the world. I was told we were fighting to make sure that we fit in how we're supposed to."

"That's what we're fighting for," her father said, "And this is not the place to discuss this."

"It has to be. And I know we think that's what we're doing, or at least we say we do," Lorna said, "But the way we're fighting for it? Through murder, coercion, and torture?"

The words were out before she could stop them. Her father's face became stonier.

"We don't do any of those things," he said.

Lorna felt herself sink. The shocking audacity of that lie made her want to cry. It hurt to tell him she had to go, and it felt worse to hear him deny and lie about her reasons.

"I know you have," Lorna said, "Please don't lie."

"I'm not lying," he said.

"But you are," Lorna said, "And I know you have your reasons, but you kept this from me. You kept talking about the future, about how you wanted me with you for the battle, but you lied to me, and I know you did!"

Her father sagged slightly.

"It wasn't because I didn't trust you," he said, "It was simply because it was never the time. You were so young when you started and then...so much happened. Please understand that."

She closed her eyes again for a moment before opening them.

"That's not what makes me upset," she said, "Not really. It's not that you hid it, it's what you did father, what you allowed others to do."

"Lorna, we've only done what's necessary," he said.

"I knew you would say that," Lorna said, "And I know why you would. But I don't agree. And that's the problem: I understand, but I don't agree. It's been this way for far too long."

Her father's stony face began to break.

"Lorna, what are you saying?" he asked.

She swallowed.

"I'm sorry father, but I can't be Magnetrix anymore," she said, "I'm not going back with you because I can't...I can't be part of the Brotherhood."

The silence stretched out between them. Lorna waited for her father to say something, anything. Surely he wouldn't stay silent. She was still tensing herself, still waiting for him to argue or to start shaking his head. Instead he was looking at her with blank eyes, his face dropping.

Her heart broke as his hands slid off her shoulders to hang limply by his sides. She could feel the tears in her eyes, but she wasn't going to break the silence. It wasn't her move.

"Why?" he asked.

Lorna swallowed again. It felt like her throat was sandpaper.

"I told you why," she said, "Father, I still love you. I still care about everyone. I just...I don't believe in the Brotherhood."

Her father's face didn't even flicker. She wanted to look down, but she couldn't. It was the same reason why she couldn't stand on her crutches. She couldn't let him think she wasn't committed.

"Why are they here Lorna?"

Lorna blinked.

"What?" Lorna asked.

"Them," her father said.

His voice was venomous and he looked past her shoulder.

"The X-men are here to make sure everything goes smoothly," Lorna said.

His eyes slid to her face.

"Are you going to stay with them now?" he snapped.

Lorna could feel anxiety twisting in her stomach.

"Yes," she said.

She watched in horror as a look of pure fury overtook his features.

"Charles let you do this?" he hissed.

Lorna rolled her shoulders back. She knew that things were heading south quickly, but she had expected them to.

"I can make my own decisions," Lorna said.

"He let you," he said.

He turned away from her slightly, his teeth gritted.

"He's helping my daughter run away from home," he said.

"You don't understand. I'm not running away," Lorna said, "I'm here, telling you. And no one allowed me do anything!"

She reached for his hand.

"I made my own decisions," she said.

He jerked away from her. His eyes were fixed on the X-men.

"What gives him the right?" he snarled.

"Father, please," Lorna said.

She grabbed his arm. This time she managed to make contact. He shook her off, causing her to stumble. She saw Alex take a step forward. Her father glared at him, and for a moment their eyes locked.

"Is everything okay?" Alex said.

"Everything's fine!" Lorna called.

She turned back to her father. He glared at Alex for a moment longer before his arm wriggled out of Lorna's grasp. Then she felt his iron fingers on her forearm. She turned to him, alarmed.

"Father-" Lorna said.

"We're going," he said.

"What?"

"We're going home Lorna!" her father shouted.

Lorna felt her heart turn cold. She pulled back slightly, trying to find the words that would calm him down, trying to recognize the man in front of her. He continued to pull her forward though, and she pulled back. His grip was too strong though, and she stumbled forward.

"Father, I'm not going anywhere!"

His eyes narrowed and his mouth opened. Before he could speak a red bolt of light hit his chest, making him let go. It was low intensity. From the fact that her father wasn't screaming in pain she knew it had done little more than sting. She was grateful.

Lorna looked and saw Alex, his arm stretched out.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Alex said, "I don't want to-"

A gust of wind sent him spiraling into a tree. Lorna saw that Janos had stepped forward, and her heart sank. This couldn't be happening. Not now.

"Janos, stop!" Lorna yelled.

A small tornado began to form in his hand. He was hit with another red blast, this one from Scott. She saw Clarice teleport away, probably to fetch the rest of the X-men. Alex was running forwards, his eyes on her. He was speaking, his hands out in a placating gesture, even if she could tell by his expression that it was a forced one.

The wind whipped away his words though. She watched her father focus on him.

"Father," Lorna said, her voice desperate, pleading, "Don't-"

As Alex reached them her father punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor. Lorna watched, feeling frozen. How had this happened, how could she be watching this? When Alex raised his head she saw blood trickle from his lip. He began to get up, but her father reared back his arm to hit him again.

It unfroze her. She grabbed his arm, pulling it back.

"Father please stop it!" she screamed.

"Let go!" he yelled.

Lorna shoved him back. She stepped between him and Alex, holding her hands up protectively.

"I'm not going to let you hurt him," she said.

Her looked at her, his expression puzzled. He looked back at Alex, whose expression was calm, his arms still in a placating gesture even as his eyes flickered over to where Janos and Scott were fighting. From the other corner of the field Clarice teleported back with Warren, Jean, and Ororo. All of the X-men were here now.

Emma had turned to diamond on the fringes of the fight and began moving in: the Professor's mental wards too strong for her to use her telepathy on each X-man. As she watched her father continued to look at Alex. Lorna lowered her hands slightly.

"Please stop this," she said.

Her father turned his eyes up to her. Something was moving in his eyes. A sinking feeling grabbed onto her. She'd been too protective, and now her father was drawing his own conclusions.

"No, father, it's not because of that," she said, her voice panicked, "I'm not doing this for him! I'm not!"

He wasn't looking at her anymore though. He was looking at Alex, and his lips were curled into a snarl.

"It's always you," he said.

"I think you should listen to your daughter," Alex said.

Her father laughed.

"Don't you dare lecture me," he said, "And I used to think you had honor."

"It's not for him!" Lorna said.

"You know Lorna, you're right," her father said, "I didn't understand. But I do now."

He stepped away.

"Emma!" he shouted.

Emma's diamond form receded and she dodged a punch from Warren. One of her hands went to her temples.

"No!" Lorna said.

She watched as Lance, Tabby, and Senyaka launched themselves from the woods. The rest of the X-men looked up as the ground began to shake.

"You sonuvabitch!" Alex yelled, getting to his feet.

The metal cuff on her father's arm detached itself, slamming into Alex and pushing him into the ground.

"Alex!" Lorna yelled.

She moved forwards, but her father grabbed her arm again.

"We're leaving," he said.

"No!'

"Lorna, I said we're leaving!"

She struggled, but his grip was too strong.

"Why won't you listen?" she screamed, "Why won't you listen! This was my choice! Father, it was my choice!"

"Shut up!" he shouted, "Emma!"

"It was my choice!" Lorna screamed again.

She wanted to tell him more, to make him understand, but her mind suddenly went blank, and she felt herself slump to the ground.


	31. Chapter 31

May 3, 1975

"He's unconscious," Annie said.

Scott watched, his mouth dry, as Annie finished bandaging his brother's forehead.

"No permanent damage, right?" he asked.

"No, none," Annie said.

Scott nodded. He felt Moira's arm on his shoulder as Annie busied herself fetching medications for the rest of the X-men. He felt dizzy, almost as if the floor was collapsing beneath him.

He'd had his suspicions that Lorna's meeting with her father wouldn't go a smoothly as she'd hoped it would. However, he'd had no idea that they would go so poorly, that they would be unable to fend off a Brotherhood attack.

Now it turned out that he'd been wrong on both counts. He'd watched from across the clearing as his brother was sent hurtling across the field, Lorna screaming. Scott hadn't had a chance to formally meet her yet, but he'd seen the panic in her eyes. He'd never need proof that she loved his brother now.

He'd watched her struggle against her father, heard her scream, and seen her slump. Riptide had upped his winds, and the X-men had been forced back. Trees had started flying into the air, and Scott had made a tactical decision. He'd ordered Clarice to teleport them all out. That included his unconscious brother. He'd already seen that it was too late for Lorna.

If his brother had been awake, then Scott knew that he would never have allowed himself to be taken away. Not without Lorna. Now Scott had failed his brother, and as punishment he would have to tell Alex that the woman he loved had been dragged back to the Brotherhood.

Scott looked at the rest of the X-men. There were no serious injuries among them. Mostly they were just getting painkillers. He could see the Professor looking at them too. As soon as they'd gotten back Scott had let him see his memories of the fight. Scott couldn't imagine what he was thinking.

As if noticing his gaze, the Professor looked up.

"I didn't think it would be this bad," the Professor said.

"What else can you expect from Magneto?" Warren said, grimacing as Annie applied some rubbing alcohol to his cheek.

Scott expected the Professor to wince. Instead he just sighed.

"At least no one was seriously injured," the Professor said, "Now we need to figure out what to do next."

"What do we do next?" Ororo snorted, "Heal up."

Scott couldn't believe it.

"That's all?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, that's all," Ororo said, "If you ask me we shouldn't have bothered in the first place. Everyone's back where they're supposed to be now."

Scott slammed his fist onto the table. The impact sent tremors of pain up and down his arm. He could see the Professor staring at him, feel Moira's hand tighten on his shoulder, and it didn't matter. Not in the face of what Ororo had just said.

"Everyone's back where they're supposed to be now?" Scott snarled, "Can you hear yourself? Were you blind out there? Couldn't you hear one damn thing?"

"Scott," the Professor said, his voice low.

"Because what I saw," Scott said, "was a woman try to protect my brother against her own father as she begged him to understand a difficult decision. Then, when he didn't, she was dragged away kicking and screaming. I highly, highly doubt that 'everyone's back where they're supposed to be now' Ororo!"

"Scott, calm yourself," the Professor said, "I understand that you're worried about your brother, but shouting will not help."

Scott breathed in through his nose, but he didn't feel his anger lessen.

"I'm worried about a helluva lot more than my brother," Scott said.

He glared at Ororo.

"You're not going to last very long in the X-men with that attitude," he said, "Because that's not all. Not by a longshot. Right now we're going to be planning a rescue mission."

He barely knew the words that were coming out of his own mouth anymore.

"Scott, we don't know where they are," Jean said.

"No, we don't," Scott said, "But the Professor might be able to find them with Cerebro."

He turned to the Professor, knowing that it was presumptuous, but he couldn't stop himself. Something else had entered him and it was screaming.

"Can you do that?" Scott asked.

"I can try Scott," the Professor said, "But Magneto has found a way to shield himself."

He frowned.

"I might be able to find Lorna though," he said.

"Good. Then we'll have a location," Scott said.

"All of them against the six of us?" Warren said, "And that's if Alex wakes up in time."

"He will," Scott said.

"Either way, that's suicide," Warren said, "There's only six of us."

"You can't seriously think that I'd let you go without me," the Professor said.

Scott couldn't help but smile. He knew the Professor might not have the combat capabilities of the rest of the X-men, but he'd more than proven himself on the field when they'd fought Sinister.

"I'm in too if Annie doesn't mind watching the children," Moira said.

"I don't mind," Annie said.

The Professor's eyes widened.

"You'll need someone to fly the Blackbird," Moira said, "Besides, I'm not living in a world where Magneto can just waltz in and take someone whenever he feels like it."

Her words cracked slightly at the end. Scott frowned, but he needed to dismiss it. Thoughts and worries like that weren't going to get him anywhere in the long run.

"There's still only eight now," Warren said.

"That's about even," Scott said.

"Look, call me a jerk," Warren said, "but I don't feel like risking my life over this."

Scott felt like punching him. He might have, but Moira's grip on his shoulder tightened.

"Warren, Lorna came to us for our protection," the Professor said, "I granted it to her, just like I granted it to everyone who comes to this school. Later, she asked for my acceptance. Every single student who has walked through these doors has received it. So did she."

He looked at the rest of the X-men.

"I know that it's difficult to take all of this in," he said, "Heaven knows that it was too much for me when I first heard it. But that's not important. What is important is that, right now, we have to react to a difficult situation as best as we can. We need to continue giving our protection and acceptance to everyone who comes through these doors, no matter what they are or where they came from."

The Professor nodded at them.

"When you entered the X-men you were told what you would be doing wouldn't be easy," he said, "Now I know a lot of you might have thought that we meant the fighting or the early morning training sessions. It's more than that though. Sometimes it's going against common sense to do the right thing."

He smiled humorlessly.

"Unfortunately, this is one of those times," he said.

* * *

"Oh my God, what happened?" Angel asked.

Magneto sighed as he laid Lorna on a bed into one of the spare bedrooms. There was a bruise forming on her forehead, and she was out. Someone had hit her, and Magneto's face was grim.

"There were a few problems picking her up," he said.

"Well, thank goodness you thought to bring some of her team," Angel said, "I hope Toad finishes with the roof repairs soon, he'll be happy to know she's back. I know he wanted to go too, and I wish he had. What went wrong?"

Magneto didn't say anything. He looked around the room for a moment before waving his hand. Metal handles and screws flew out and hovered into the air. The bed was on a wooden spring, an old fashioned creation, so only a few screws left it.

"What are you doing?" Angel asked.

"Removing all the metal from the room," he said.

He waved his hand and the metal was sent racing down the hallway. Angel sat down on the bed next to Lorna, looking uncertain.

"Why would you want to do that?" she asked.

"So that there isn't any for her when she wakes up," Magneto said.

Angel paused.

"I'm sorry," she said, "Is that some sort of test you devised for her training, or-?"

"She's been staying with the X-men," he said.

Angel couldn't stifle her gasp.

"What?" she asked, "For how long?"

"Long enough for Alex to seduce her and turn her mind," Magneto sneered, "She said she wanted to join them."

Angel looked down at Lorna, and then quickly back up at Magneto.

"She couldn't have meant that," Angel said.

"She meant it, but I doubt she would if she knew the truth," Magneto said.

He ran a hand through his hair.

"Alex has always hated me, and now he's decided to use my daughter against me," Magneto said, "And he says I'm the twisted one."

"I...I don't understand," Angel said.

She turned and brushed some stray hairs away from Lorna's face.

"How could she not see through that?" she asked, "She's smart. Much smarter than that."

"Or so I had thought," Magneto said.

He sighed.

"No, that's wrong. She is smarter than that. This is my fault," he said, "I let her leave in an emotionally vulnerable state. I should have known that someone was going to try and take advantage of her. She isn't used to...to not having people stand by her. Without us...after the argument...it must have been easy for him."

His voice was bitter. Angel couldn't blame him.

"You couldn't have known," Angel said.

"I should have," he said.

He sighed and looked around.

"I'm going to have to see if I can reinforce the door," he said.

Angel paused, remembering her original question. It wasn't difficult to see where the conversation was going.

"You're going to lock her in here?" Angel asked.

"Until she comes to her senses, yes," Magneto said.

She looked back at Lorna, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

"She...you weren't able to get her to understand what had happened?" Angel asked.

"No. I will, in time, but we need to be careful," Magneto said.

He leaned up against the wall.

"I'm going to have Emma check her for signs of mental tampering," he said.

Angel's mouth dropped open.

"It was that bad?" Angel said, "Do you think that he would do that?"

"Not really," Magneto said, "But I don't want to rule anything out."

He crossed his arms.

"This happened right under his nose," Magneto said, "For whatever reason she came into contact with them, and he allowed this to happen. And I used to respect his judgment."

His face hardened.

"Not anymore," he said, "I'd like to see this happen to his son, see someone else corrupt them and lose them. Maybe then he'll understand what it is he's let happen."

Magneto shook his head and looked back at Lorna.

"She needs us now, more than ever, to help her," he said, "But right now she doesn't want to be helped."

"I hope she will soon," Angel said, "I never..."

She gritted her teeth.

"I remember him as being an idiot back at the base, but this...this is wrong," she said.

"I know," Magneto said.

He walked over to the bed and touched Lorna's cheek.

"I won't be able to be here when she wakes up," he said, "The last time we spoke, it wasn't pleasant. I don't want to spark another episode."

"I'm so sorry," Angel said.

Magneto nodded, looking tired.

"I have to go find something non-metallic to keep the door shut when she wakes up," he said.

"Alright," Angel said, "I think I'll linger here for another few minutes."

Magneto gave her a quick nod before leaving the room. Angel turned to Lorna, wondering what she could do about the bruise. She didn't really know first aide, but it would give her something to do.

She smiled softly at Lorna, although the look was sad.

"I'm so sorry for all of this," Angel said.


	32. Chapter 32

May 3, 1975

Alex opened his eyes. He sat up and felt the blood rush to his head. He got dizzy, but he kept trying to push himself up. Immediately hands started to push him back, he wasn't sure whose, and immediately he fought them. He had to get up.

"Hey, calm down," Annie said, "Just calm down."

He paused, he didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't stay down. A bit gentler now he continued to try to move her hands to the side.

"Where's Lorna?" he asked.

"Now's not the time," she said.

"Where's Lorna?" he demanded.

Annie sighed.

"Lay back down," she said, "You're going to hurt yourself, and then you're going to be no good to anyone. I'll tell you, but only if you behave. Are you going to behave?"

"Yes," he said.

She took her hands off his shoulders and moved to the other side of the med bay. He laid back down, his hands grabbing the sides of the table.

"But where is Lorna?" he asked.

"Keep it down," she said, "David, Kurt, and Terry are in the next room. They're asleep."

He shrugged her words off. More memories were coming back. If he concentrated he could just remember Magneto grabbing Lorna's forearm, hear her screaming at her father to listen.

It didn't bode well. He looked around the room. If Lorna was with them, then Annie would have alerted her that he woke up. More likely she'd be in the room. She was like him in that way. He knew she would care that he was hurt, but she would also blame herself for what happened. It wouldn't have been her fault, of course, but he knew the feeling.

But she wasn't there.

"Tell me where Lorna is," he said.

Annie sighed again.

"The Brotherhood took her," she said.

Alex flopped back down on his medical cot, his mind seething and bubbling. This was his fault. He'd come with her specifically to make sure this didn't happen. She had trusted him to stand by her, even if she had insisted that she didn't need to be protected.

She must know better now. He had no clue what she was going through, what lengths her father would do to keep her with him. He thought of Calvin and shuddered. He had wanted to keep her from all of that. Now he had failed her.

He couldn't let that stand.

"Where's everyone else?" he asked.

"They're getting the Blackbird ready," Annie said, "The X-men will be going out in a bit, just as soon as the Professor tracks down Lorna and you wake up. He hasn't found her yet, but one out of two isn't bad."

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"You've been out since about eleven, and it's nine now, so about ten hours," Annie said.

"Ten hours?" he asked.

He felt aghast. He'd lost ten hours.

"Why was I out?" he asked.

Annie sighed.

"You don't remember," she said, "Why am I not surprised? You hit a tree: got a pretty deep gash on your forehead. It needed stitches, but there was no concussion and no brain damage."

He touched his head and felt a bandage. He wanted to claw at his head, curse it for the time that he had lost. There wouldn't be much point to it though.

"Can I take this off?" he asked.

"Why not?" Annie shrugged, "It's going to scar either way."

"Yeah, you know I don't care," he said, "Can I get up now?"

Annie sighed again.

"Yes, just do it slowly."

He sat up, much slower this time. He didn't feel the strange, swimming feeling he had felt earlier. When he was satisfied that everything was alright he yanked the bandage off. Alex brushed his fingers against the raised area on his forehead. He could only just feel the row of stitches.

"Is everyone in the hanger?" he asked.

"Yes," Annie said, "Scott's trying to get some semblance of order in there."

Alex smiled. He knew he could count on his brother.

"To the best of my knowledge he's starting to outline a plan," Annie said.

"I thought we didn't know where we were going?" Alex asked.

She shrugged again.

"When has that ever stopped any of you?" she asked.

"Good point," Alex said.

He stood up and tested the rest of his uniform. It was still in good condition. He looked around the room until he found his coat. Alex threw it over his shoulders and turned up his collar.

"Okay," he said, "I'll go see if I can get them a bit more mobilized. Thanks for stitching me up, again."

Alex turned towards the door.

"Alex, can I ask you something?"

He looked back.

"What?" he asked.

Annie took a deep breath.

"Do you love her?" she asked.

Alex paused and leaned against the doorframe.

"Why would you ask that?" he asked.

"Little things," Annie said, "You always visited her, you were such a staunch defender when she decided to join, and now this. I mean, you might not, but, well..."

She gave him a small smile.

"Like I said, little things," she said.

Alex swallowed, feeling the familiar feeling of guilt returning. At the same time, it was eclipsed by something else.

"Very few people know," he said, "My brother, Sean, Charles, Moira, and her of course, but that's it. But...yes. I'm not the reason she's staying here though."

"I didn't think that," Annie said.

"Then that makes you smarter than her father," Alex said.

He put his hands in his pockets.

"Listen, Annie, I've loved her for a long time," he said, "And...I was going to tell everyone about this, but things got bad fast. It'll just make things worse if I bring it up right now. I know I have no right to ask you this, but could you please keep this quiet for a little longer?"

Annie laughed sadly.

"Alex, no one likes to be rejected," she said, "But there are different ways to see this, and you were right. We weren't going to work together, because I'm not her."

She looked down.

"I understand. I'm not going to be bitter Alex. It's not like you were the love of my life or something," she laughed, "From what I've seen of her, she seems nice. I suppose. As long as she's not Brotherhood anyway."

Annie looked up.

"So go out there and do the hero thing," she said, "And trust that I won't leave you to bleed it out on my medical table."

Alex smiled.

"I knew you wouldn't," Alex said, "You're pretty great Annie."

"What's new?" Annie said, "Now go out and save your girlfriend."

"Oh, I intend to," Alex said.

* * *

Lorna woke up, her arms aching. When she looked she saw bruises. Lorna looked away and examined her surroundings. She recognized the spare bedroom immediately. It was usually one that they would use for visiting field or lesser members of the Brotherhood. Now they had stuck her in it.

The hurt and anguish hit her like a tidal wave, threatening to swallow her. Her father had ripped her away from the Institute, refusing to listen to her pleas. Lorna closed her eyes again, searching desperately for something else that she could hold onto. Her anger was a convenient shield, and she grabbed it gratefully.

Lorna got to her feet, her hands fisting in the bed clothes. The anger was burning within her and she searched for metal in the room. If she could bend it then it would make her feel better, help her focus. She didn't find any.

Her father had removed the metal from the room. She always had metal around her. The last time this had happened had been when she had been Black Tom's prisoner. She got to her feet, feeling the ache in her foot. Lorna hobbled towards the door and saw that the door handle had been removed. She pushed on it, but it didn't budge.

She was being held prisoner. The anguish threatened to rise up again: this was her father doing this to her, her father and the people who had raised her. Instead she held onto her anger even more. How could they do this to her? After everything they had locked her in her room, treating her like a prisoner.

Lorna looked around the room. There was no door handle, so there was no lock she could pick. The door was standard, so it was possible that she could break it down. There was probably a guard on the other side that she would have to fight. There might be metal outside though. She could use that. Once she got through the hall, then she might be able to get out and get back to the Institute.

The Institute. Alex. Was he alright? He'd been hurled back right before she was knocked out. Had anyone pressed that advantage? It was just another thing that she couldn't think about if she wanted to get out.

Lorna shifted her feet. Her broken foot was starting to hurt worse, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. She didn't have any pain medication. She knew how to kick down a door, she'd learned early on not to ram it with her shoulder, but she didn't have anything to rest her weight on since her foot wasn't capable of it.

Lorna looked over at the bed in the room. She grabbed the bedpost and dragged it closer to the door. It was simple enough, and she didn't put too much stress on her foot. When it was only a few feet away she stopped. Lorna sat on it and, with her good foot, began kicking where the door handle would be.

With every kick she tried to strengthen her anger. Her father hadn't listened to her, had treated her like a child. No one else had either. Alex was hurt. They had locked her up. She chanted it all in her head like a mantra, her kicks getting stronger and stronger. She could feel the door begin to give way.

There were voices on the other end of the door. Although Lorna's leg ached with the strain she tried to put more force behind her kicks. She had to get out. There was no way that she could stay there, not feeling and knowing what she did.

The door gave way. Lorna launched herself off the bed and whipped around the doorframe. She slid low and felt a punch go sailing by her head. Lorna looked up and saw Lance.

"I'm sorry," she said.

She kicked upwards with her good foot, catching him in the chin. She grabbed him by his t-shirt and slammed his face into the wall. He was out. It was good. She didn't want him to get involved anymore than he had to be. Lorna hadn't wanted anyone to be involved, but it was too late for that.

A hand grabbed her from behind. Lorna threw her head back and shoved her elbow into their stomach. She heard a small cry and recognized Tabby. Lorna felt tears in her eyes, but she slammed her friend and teammate into the floor, cursing the lack of understanding that had caused everything.

A familiar iron grip grabbed her forearm. Furious Lorna turned around and struck out with her other arm. Before she made contact she felt her body stop, unwilling to obey her commands.

She gritted her teeth.

"Emma, let me go," Lorna said.

Emma stepped next to her father, her face blank. Lorna saw her father shake his head and sigh.

"Lorna, there was no need for any of this," he said.

"Let me go!" she snapped.

He sighed and let go of her arm.

"I was afraid you'd be unreasonable," he said.

"You kidnapped me and locked me up," Lorna said, "And I'm the one being unreasonable?"

"I brought you home," he said.

"This isn't my home anymore!" Lorna screamed.

A vein in her father's forehead throbbed.

"I don't think that Charles would do anything to your mind," he said, "But I can't rule it out. Not after what he let happen, and not with you acting so erratic."

Lorna wanted to draw away, wanted to run.

"Emma, please scan her memories."

Lorna wanted to cry. Why couldn't he understand? Why couldn't he even try?

"Leave my mind alone!" she shouted, "I made my own decisions!"

Emma hesitated, looking at her father.

"What are you waiting for?" her father said.

Emma sighed and looked at Lorna.

"You understand why I have to do this, don't you?" she asked.

"No," Lorna hissed, "I don't."

"It'll only hurt if you fight it," Emma said.

Lorna glared at her, but she felt like she was breaking apart. Her anger was her only protection, and it was a slender one.

"Then it's going to hurt like hell," she snarled.

Emma looked uncertainly at her father. He paused for a moment before nodding.

"Lorna, this is all for your own good," he said.

"I highly doubt that," she snapped.

Emma put her hands on either side of Lorna's face, and the pain began.


	33. Chapter 33

May 3, 1975

Angel sat down in the living room, resting her chin on her hand. Toad sat across from her, looking at her with nervous green eyes. No one had told him what was happening until he'd run into Angel. Now he just looked confused and angry about the whole situation.

Angel could sympathize.

"Is she gonna be okay?" he asked.

"I don't know," Angel said, "He's used her. You know how she takes her loyalties."

Angel thought about what Magneto said.

"I knew him once you know," she said, "He was a jerk, but he seemed like he was just a guy. Guys can be jerks when they're teens and it won't mean anything. He's changed since then, and I thought that he was at least a decent person, you know? But if he did that to Lorna..."

Her voice trailed off and Toad nodded, his face hard.

"I'm gonna kill him next time I see him," he said.

She had to smile at the sentiment. Toad was one of Lorna's oldest friends, and the one nearest to her age.

"You'll have to get in line behind Magneto," Angel said, "And me."

Toad cocked his head before nodding.

"Sounds right," he muttered, "I'm sure there's plenty of him to go around."

Angel nodded. She wondered just how Magneto had discovered what Alex had done. Maybe he had just figured it out. How could Lorna have fallen for it though? Then again, Magneto had said that she had been vulnerable and alone. Lorna was a gentle soul despite the warrior in her, someone who cared about her family and people in general. She could see how that could be manipulated.

Thinking about it all made her head hurt. She wanted a drink, but she knew that she would need a clear head for the next couple of hours. Lorna might need her.

"Is there anything we can do?" Toad asked.

"I don't know," Angel said, "Magneto said he wanted to talk to her."

Toad sighed and got up.

"Tell me if you know anything else, okay?" Toad said.

"Don't worry," Angel said, "I'm sure it's alright."

Toad perked up a little. Angel wished that she could have his optimism. She waited until Toad was out of the room before burying her face in her hands. How could this have happened? Magneto had wanted to give Lorna space, and all that they had done was give scum an opportunity to wiggle into her life.

She should have pushed Magneto to send Emma out sooner. Now this had happened. Magneto had been trying to give Lorna what she wanted, but she supposed that sometimes people wanted things that weren't good for them.

Then again, how could they have known that this would happen? How could any of them have known? Lorna had been acting so strange lately. She needed time by herself to sort things out, whatever exactly those things were. Lorna was a grown woman and she had needed to think about what to do. The days were gone when those decisions were small ones and the answers easy.

A scream cut through the air. Angel sat up straight, feeling like the air had been sucked out of the room. She scrambled to her feet and ran towards the stairs. She knew that voice, and there was only one reaction she could give. The only thing that Angel could think to do when Lorna screamed was to try to help her.

She reached the hall where Lorna's voice was coming from and stopped dead. The hall was a wreck. Angel could see Lance and Tabby were lying on the floor, unconscious. Neither seemed to be seriously injured, but that was the least of it.

Lorna was on her hands and knees in the hallway, her face contorted with pain. Emma was on her knees in front of her, her hands on either side of Lorna's head. Magneto stood a few steps away, looking shocked.

"Emma, what the hell are you doing?" Angel shouted.

Emma didn't even look up. Angel stepped forward, but Magneto grabbed her arm.

"Angel, don't interrupt her," he said.

His voice sounded hoarse. Angel looked at him disbelievingly.

"She's hurting her!" Angel said.

"If we interrupt her now, she'll hurt her even worse," Magneto hissed.

He looked at his daughter, his expression anguished.

"I didn't think she would do it," he said.

"Do what?" Angel said.

"She wasn't supposed to fight it," he said, "It wouldn't have hurt like this, it shouldn't even be hurting her like this now...and I can't..."

Angel swallowed. Lorna was a fighter, and she knew that Emma had coached her on techniques to fight telepaths. Her will was also incredible, which must have felt like a brick wall to Emma. Lorna must be resisting with all her might, holding on to whatever memory she didn't want Emma to see. It probably concerned Alex.

One of her hands gripped the wall and she cursed Alex for doing this to Lorna. She'd always known that Alex hated Magneto, but this was far worse than anything she could imagine. Angel fought back tears as she watched Lorna falter more and more.

Finally Emma took her hands off of Lorna's head. Lorna collapsed to the floor. Magneto raced to his daughter's side and started to pick her up. Lorna looked limp and her head lolled to the side. Emma slumped and put her hands on the floor. It was the most unrefined Angel had ever seen her.

Angel sat down next to Emma. She had always tried to avoid getting into a confrontation with Emma. She had always scared her. However, she had gone too far this time. Angel knew Emma would face Magneto's wrath after he'd seen to Lorna, but someone needed to tell her about the damage she'd done immediately.

To her surprise she saw that Emma was crying.

"Magneto... it was beautiful," Emma said, "I wish I could have shown you. It's not a trick...it's not a trick..."

Angel felt herself freeze. Magneto looked up, furious. He picked Lorna up. Her eyes were unfocused and she seemed to be wincing from the light, from the noise.

"Shut up," he said, "You're just stressed. You don't know what you're talking about."

Emma sat back on her ankles, looking dazed.

"Delicate, so fragile and yet so strong," she murmured, "What a strange emotion."

"Emma," Angel said.

She was feeling scared. The situation was pulling away from her. She'd thought that it was complicated before, but somehow it seemed worse now.

"I've never seen that before," Emma said, "Love is something different..."

"Shut up!" Magneto shouted.

Lorna's eyes opened the rest of the way, wincing. She began to push weakly at her father.

"Let me go," she said.

"Lorna, I'm sorry it hurt so much," Magneto said, his voice soft, "Don't blame Emma. I just needed to make sure. I'm sorry. It's alright-"

"It's not alright," Lorna said, "Let me go. Please, why can't you understand?"

"That's enough Lorna," Magneto said.

Lorna pushed at his chest, making him stumble. Angel stared, all of her thoughts crumbling.

"Father, please," Lorna pleaded.

"Enough," he said, "Emma."

Emma looked up blearily. She blinked and Lorna's eyes rolled to the back of her head. Magneto nodded sharply at her.

"Thank you," he said.

He turned on his heel and carried Lorna back into the spare room. Angel looked over at Emma. Emma still seemed dazed. Angel watched as Toad ran into the room, his eyes wide.

"It's okay," Angel said.

"What happened?" Toad said.

Angel didn't want to lie, but she couldn't tell him the truth.

"Lorna had a panic attack," she said, "We've got it under control now."

Toad hesitated and looked at Lance and Tabby's forms.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes," Angel said.

Toad nodded, and then backed away. When he was gone Angel sighed.

"Are you...are you okay Emma?" she said.

Emma turned to her.

"What I saw, I've never seen that before," he said.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.

Emma smiled.

"You'll understand," she said, sounding distant, "After all, we both took up with Shaw. Not because we felt anything for him, but because we wanted to survive. That's all we thought being in relationships were good for."

Angel didn't say anything. Neither of them had ever spoken about Shaw. While Angel had only flirted with him, let him think that something might come after, she knew that Emma had been in a relationship with him for years. It had been about survival with Angel, though she was ashamed of how she had been when she was younger. It had been all she'd known at the time though.

"And I didn't feel bad about it," she said, "because I was a grown woman and clever. Love wasn't involved. I thought that I was stronger than something as stupid as love. There was nothing special about what I felt towards him: I just needed him as a means for an end."

Emma's eyes became glassy.

"I didn't love him," she said, "I thought it was a waste of time, that love would do nothing but make me weak."

She smiled.

"But Magneto, you, and Azazel were the one who figured out that you didn't have to be afraid of caring about someone besides yourself," Emma said, "And I believe it all started with Lorna. Or at least, the caring that I could see."

She looked at Angel.

"You care about Lorna, don't you?" she asked.

Angel stared.

"Of course I do," she said.

"Good," Emma said, "Because when I looked into her mind and tried to see what she felt about Havok, all I could see was pure, honest love."

"That's how she loves," Angel said impatiently, "We all knew that her feelings were genuine. But his-"

"Are genuine too," Emma said.

Angel stopped, and then slowly shook her head.

"That can't be true," she said.

"It is though," Emma said.

"How would you know?" Angel snapped.

Emma smiled. Some of the dazed distance was leaving her eyes, but there was still enough there to make Angel uncomfortable.

"I knew," she said, "So would anyone who looked into her mind. Love like that, I've never felt it. I've never heard the thoughts that came with it. Not before now."

She shrugged.

"But it's immaterial," Emma said, "Because she's not even trying to leave because of him."

"What?" Angel asked.

"I said she's not trying to leave because of him," Emma said, "She thinks that the X-men have a better way of fighting for our kind, that we torture and murder when we don't need to."

"How does she know about any of that?" Angel asked, dismayed.

Emma shrugged again.

"She was fighting me while I was in there," she said, "I have no clue."

Angel looked around the hallway. One of her hands dug into the floor.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

"Because you care about Lorna," Emma said, "I just thought you should know."

Angel felt tears welling in her eyes before she saw them dropping onto the ground.

"What am I supposed to do about this?" she asked.

"What we're all supposed to do," Emma said.

Her voice was hard, the last of the distant quality gone. She got up and brushed her clothes off. Angel looked up at her and Emma stared imperiously down at her.

"Follow Magneto's orders," she said, "And I doubt that they'll change just because he was wrong."

"But, but he doesn't understand..." Angel said.

"Do you?" Emma asked.

"No," Angel said.

"Well then, it hardly matters," Emma said, "Believe me, I don't think his mind is going to change once I tell him this. So just stay calm, keep your little fairy wings on, and, like I said, follow orders."

Emma brushed the last of the dirt off her clothes.

"It's better that way," she said.

Angel watched as Emma walked away. She had never felt more lost in her life.


	34. Chapter 34

May 3, 1975

Alex walked into the hanger. The X-men, along with Charles and Moira, had been talking when he came in. They stopped at once to look at him. He grinned.

"You didn't think you were leaving without me, did you?" he asked.

"No sir," Scott said.

"Good," he said.

Alex walked next to Charles.

"Annie filled me in," he said, "Since you're here, I take it that you found Lorna?"

"Yes," Charles said, "The signal's weak, but I was able to lock onto it."

Alex frowned.

"Why would it be weak?" he asked.

"Possibly a symptom of how Magneto shields himself," Charles said, "Or someone else was in her mind. Possibly both."

Alex clenched his hand into a fist.

"Were you able to tell just what they were doing in her mind?" he asked.

"Unfortunately no," Charles said, "But I would have been able to tell if it was anything major."

Charles gave him a meaningful look. Alex nodded, feeling relieved. At least Magneto hadn't decided to have Emma rewrite Lorna's mind. Not yet at least.

"Okay everyone," Alex said, "You've sent out a call for Sean, right?"

"Yes, but I don't think he'll be here in time," Scott said.

"Still, you never know," Alex said.

He looked around the room, quickly doing a mental tally of the Brotherhood members they would be up against. There were nine of them, unless they had gotten some new recruits in recently. There was also the possibility, however slight, that Emma might do something to Lorna's mind, and then they would be up against ten. It would be bad for other reasons, but he would deal with that problem if it arose.

They were outnumbered, but not by much. Alex would have preferred to have at least a few more combatants on his side, even things out a bit. Most of the Brotherhood were experienced fighters, and most were also older than his team. Still, he had faith in them.

"Right," he said, "Does everyone have all of their equipment? Clarice, your quiver's full right?"

Clarice nodded, adjusting the strap on the quiver that held her crystals. He'd never understood why she preferred it that way.

"And we're going to be wearing the new uniforms, alright?" Alex said, "Better protection. Remember, they have the home advantage this time."

The X-men nodded. He looked over them, trying to see if there were any signs of discontent. Ororo looked surly, but not hostile. That was good. At least she understood the parameters of the mission.

"Now that the equipment check is done, did you all decide anything I should know about while I was out?" he asked.

Scott looked over at Charles and Moira. Alex followed his eyes.

"We're coming with you," Charles said.

Alex winced, a knee-jerk reaction. It certainly explained why Annie was watching the children.

"Both of you?" he asked.

"I figure you might need to make a quick getaway," Moira said, "I haven't been a real combatant for years, but I can still fly the Blackbird well, and if bad comes to worse I can sure as hell shoot someone."

Her voice was defiant. Alex could see that she was expecting him to fight her. Charles had set his face too. Alex wished he could argue with them. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized he needed them. The mental wards Charles had put up for them might not hold forever against Emma. There was also a good chance they would need someone constantly manning the Blackbird, and Charles had a fighting chance at talking Magneto down.

Personally Alex just wanted to beat Magneto senseless, but the peaceful approach might be better. Although Alex had never hated him more than he did then, he was still Lorna's father.

"Good point," he said.

Moira paused.

"You're not going to argue about this?" she asked.

"No. Like I said, it's a good point and we really don't have time to argue," Alex said, "Just stay out of the immediate combat area, okay?"

"I'm just the getaway car driver," Moira shrugged.

Alex looked over at Charles.

"You know I'd prefer it if you stayed with Moira," he said.

"I would too really," he said.

Charles reached up and gripped his wife's hand. Alex knew he was thinking about when she had nearly died in his arms, a victim of Sinister's manipulation.

"But I believe I might be a bit more useful out on the field," Charles said, "All things considered."

Alex winced again. The last time they'd had this argument Charles had won. He was still the leader of the X-men. Alex was only the leader of their field operations, and he answered to Charles. However, last time Charles had been desperate to save his wife. Alex had hoped that he would be more willing to negotiate now that Moira wasn't in danger.

The look in Charles's eyes didn't look negotiable though.

"Alright, alright. But last time we got separated and it was a huge mess," Alex said, "I don't want anyone to get cornered by themselves again. I want everyone to pair off, which means that someone is going to be with someone else at all times."

Charles considered for a moment, and then slowly shook his head.

"We have an uneven number if Moira's staying in the Blackbird," he said.

"Um, maybe I can help with that?"

Alex looked over his shoulder. Calvin was standing in the doorway, looking uncertain.

"I uh, came down here because I had a question about something with the X-men...but I think it's kind of moot now," Calvin said.

Alex exchanged a look with Charles.

"Calvin, when I invited you into the X-men I didn't mean that meant you would start going on missions immediately," Alex said, feeling dismayed.

"Yeah, I know," Calvin said, "But I know how to fight. I've been in a gang for awhile. I've been living on the streets for a few years now-"

"So did I, but it doesn't mean anything," Ororo said, "And who said you were on the team, mimic?"

"I extended an invitation the other day," Alex said, his voice sharp.

Ororo stared at him but Alex shook his head.

"Not the time," he said.

Calvin tilted his chin up.

"I got into my first knife fight when I was fourteen," he said, "I'm not proud, but I know how to stay alive in combat situations. Not necessarily against other mutants, but I think you need people. I'm fast, and I'm smart in combat situations, even if I'm not so great at chemistry and geography."

"You're not so bad at chemistry," Clarice said.

Calvin smiled and took a deep breath.

"You told me that you wanted me on your team because you think I can make a difference," he said, "So let me try."

No one said anything. After a moment Charles tapped the side of his head with his fingers.

_Alex, I'm not sure if this is a good idea_, Charles thought.

_It might not be a great idea, but with that kind of conviction, I want him with us_, Alex thought.

_I'm not doubting his convictions_, Charles thought, _Just his combat ability in this situation. It's not an easy fight we'll have on our hands. _

_Believe me, I know,_ Alex thought, _But he could make a difference._

Charles paused.

_You know more about this than I do, _he thought_, What is your opinion?_

_He does have combat_ _experience,_ Alex thought,_ And we weren't very trained at Cuba, but that worked out. _

_I didn't like that._

_He'll be with you at all times_, Alex thought, _We need everyone we can get. I can't..._

He swallowed.

_I can't lose her again Charles._

For a moment he thought Charles was going to refuse. Then he sighed and looked over at Calvin.

"Stay with me at all times," he said.

Calvin nodded.

"Yes sir," he said.

"You're about Scott's size," Alex said, "We'll have you use one of his spare uniforms. And you'll need a codename. Any ideas."

Calvin looked over at Ororo before turning back.

"How about Mimic?" he said.

* * *

"Magneto, can I talk to you?" Angel said.

Magneto looked up. His head was bowed and he looked exhausted. Angel couldn't help but feel sorry for him. If he wasn't in front of the room where Lorna was then she would have left him alone. She wouldn't need to talk to him if Lorna wasn't locked up.

"It's about Lorna, isn't it?" he said.

She managed a weak smile.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked.

"It's the only reason you ever come to me," he said.

Angel leaned against the opposite wall. There was no other way to say what she wanted to, and she was more than a little scared about what would happen when she said it.

Still, Lorna was unconscious on the other side of the door. Angel had always tried to speak up for Lorna when she could. When Lorna was little Angel liked to think that she was a way for Lorna's voice to be emphasized. She was the indulgent aunt, the one who would let Lorna stay up late and give her cookies when her father was away.

Now she had to try for a much more serious role.

"I heard what Emma said earlier," she said.

Magneto steepled his fingers together and rested his chin on his hands.

"So did I," he said, "What of it?"

Angel fidgeted.

"She loves him," she said.

"Of course she does," Magneto said, "And I'm sorry for it. Her innocence left her vulnerable. I thought that I was going to be able to protect her from all this ugliness. People take advantage of innocence far too often."

His voice was gloomy.

"She's so precious Angel. She's always been so precious," he said, "And I turned my back on her. I let this happen."

Angel swallowed and clenched her hands behind her back.

"I know," she said, "But...if what Emma said was true, then he loves her too."

Magneto snorted.

"And how would she recognize something like that from Lorna's thoughts?" Magneto said, "Of course Lorna would think that. She would want him to love her back!"

"Would she though?" Angel said, "With all the complications it would cause?"

Magneto gave her a cold look.

"What are you suggesting?" he asked.

She fidgeted again. Magneto was scaring her now.

"What if this isn't what we think it is?" Angel said, "What if this isn't even about loving someone or not loving someone?"

His glare intensified.

"Are you seriously suggesting that Lorna wants to join the X-men because of her beliefs?" Magneto said, "That she would decide to fight against us, betray us all like that?"

Angel felt herself shrinking back. Magneto hadn't even gotten up from his seat, but she felt as though he wanted nothing more than to rip her apart.

"I don't think it's a matter of wanting to fight people," Angel said.

"Meaning?" Magneto snapped.

"I mean, well, did you want to fight against Charles and the rest?" Angel stammered.

Magneto continued to glare at her. Angel felt her mouth go dry. She had to say something.

"You...you know how sensitive she is, how kind," Angel said, "If she found out what's been done in the past, what we're still doing-"

"She owes her loyalty to me and to the Brotherhood!" Magneto shouted, rising to his feet, "Not to Charles and his pets!"

Angel scratched her nails up against the wall. Her knees felt weak and she could almost feel herself sliding downwards.

"If Charles and Alex," he said, spitting Alex's name out, "think that I'm going to let them take my daughter then they know nothing about me! Nothing!"

Angel pressed herself further against the wall. She felt as though her hands were being crushed behind her.

"And if they want to come and try to take her, then let them try," he said, "I'll destroy them all for this!"

He panted, his eyes filled with fire.

"Soon she'll forget about them all," he said, "As soon as Emma feels better I'm having her erase them all from her memory! They don't deserve her!"

"But-!" Angel cried.

"But what!" Magneto shouted.

Angel shrank even further back. Magneto seemed like a man possessed. It was all Angel could do to keep from screaming.

"Nothing," she said weakly, "You know best."

Her words were soft, no more than a whisper.

"You're her father after all," she said.


	35. Chapter 35

May 4, 1975

Scott looked over the estate through his binoculars. His brother was next to him, peering out. The rest were in the Blackbird, working with Moira to make sure that any radars nearby wouldn't pick them up. The last thing they needed when they were fighting the Brotherhood was the military barging in.

He had never been to a Brotherhood base before. In his mind they had been foreboding buildings surrounded by barbed wire in the middle of nowhere. Realistically he'd known that that was dumb, but it was difficult to see it as anything else in his mind.

The building below them looked rather pleasant though. It was on the large size, though nowhere near as big as the Institute, and in the middle of some rather nice property. There was a fence, but there was a definite lack of barbed wire around it.

The appearance was strategically deceptive though. He'd seen enough pleasant buildings with terrible things going on inside of them. They were just fronts since they looked far too respectable for anything bad to be going on in them.

It seemed like a pretty basic layout on the outside, and Scott knew how to deal with that. They had done enough Danger Room sessions with similar set ups to make him feel somewhat comfortable. There could be security measures that they couldn't see though, and that worried him. Then again, the Brotherhood was a security measure.

He tried to look at the situation with an objective eye. He wondered how his brother did it, fighting the way he did, planning things the way he did. Alex had been in charge of a small militia for nearly half his life, the lives of others resting on his ability to train them. For this particular mission, he was also going to be fighting for the woman he loved. How could he do all of that?

Scott would need to figure it out soon. He'd been being told for a long time that he was going to lead the X-men after Alex. Scott would have to fill some pretty big shoes, and it was more than a little intimidating.

He looked over at his brother. Alex was tense. Scott wondered when his brother had fallen in love with Lorna. He figured it must have started when he was fighting Black Tom with her, but he supposed that the details were, and would most likely remain, sketchy.

Still, he couldn't doubt what was happening between his brother and Lorna. She had stood between Alex and Magneto in all of his fury. It was obvious his brother was willing to risk his life for her. They were in love, and they were fighting to be together.

Lorna's convictions were pure too. Scott didn't really know her, but he knew Alex. Alex had basically raised him: he wouldn't have fallen in love with Lorna if she was like her father. His brother wouldn't have fallen in love with anyone who didn't believe in protecting others, in fighting for them.

Scott hoped that the rest of the X-men would realize this too. They knew Alex, and they knew the Professor. Neither would let Lorna into the Institute if they didn't believe in her. Scott had to believe in her too. There was more though. She might also be family one day.

His brother put his binoculars down.

"It looks like we'll do a basic maneuver, a few go in from the back, the front, and the roof," he said, "I don't see any patrols."

"Same here," Scott said.

Alex nodded and got to his feet. Scott did the same.

"Let's go and tell the others," Alex said.

"Sure," Scott said.

They started back to the Blackbird. Scott paused for a minute. He felt like he should say something. Alex was in love with the object of their rescue mission after all.

"We'll get her back," Scott said.

"I know," Alex said.

"Alex," Scott said, trying to put as much meaning into his words as possible, "We'll get her back."

Alex stopped. He let out a shuddering breath.

"Thanks," he said.

"I mean it," Scott said.

Alex looked over his shoulder at Scott and grinned.

"I know that," he said, "Now come on. Let's get going."

He motioned Scott on. Together they stepped into the Blackbird. Alex took a position next to Charles and Scott stood by Jean. She smiled uncertainly at him. Scott returned the expression with as much confidence as he could.

"Okay," Alex said, "No patrols: they're probably preoccupied with Lorna. I doubt she's going to be complacent in all of this."

His brother breathed in.

"Basic front, back, and roof entrance," he said, "The front party will be me, Cyclops, the Professor, and Mimic. Back party will be Blink and Marvel Girl. Archangel and Storm will come in from the roof. The bottom floor teams will meet together before we head upstairs. Roof team be careful."

Alex nodded towards Moira.

"Moira will, of course, stay here with the Blackbird," he said.

Alex shoved his hands into his pockets. It was a familiar pose from their old debriefings.

"Keep your radios close. Try to remember to use them," he said, "And Marvel Girl, maintain psychic contact with the Professor for as long as you can."

"Got it," Jean said.

Alex looked at Charles.

"Anything else to add?" he asked.

"A few things," Charles said.

He folded his hands into his lap.

"Remember, they all think that they're protecting one of their own. Lorna has grown up with them. Her change in beliefs has obviously left them deeply affected. They will be angry, and they will not hesitate to harm you. At the same time, if any of you draw blood it will only make the situation worse. Magneto is already furious."

From what Scott had seen, 'furious' was a very, very big understatement.

"So be careful," Charles said, "This isn't an attempt to take out the Brotherhood or just a fight. We get Lorna, and then we leave as quickly as possible. She is our only objective. Is this understood?"

There was a chorus of nods. Scott saw his brother's eyes become hard.

"It's understood," Alex said.

* * *

Alex walked up to the door, making sure to keep below the window line. He was used to being the first to go into a situation, mostly because he tended to be the one who packed the biggest punches. It had started back when he was in his teens. His powers could act a as a shield to counteract most energy beams, and he'd always felt that he could take more damage.

It wasn't necessarily true when he was fighting with Sean and Hank, Hank literally had tougher skin, but with so many younger X-men it was true now. Besides, he had been the one who had failed Lorna. If anyone was going to get hurt getting her back, it was going to be him.

He peeked above the window line to see if there was anyone on the other side of the door. No one was there. He waved the rest of them on. As their footsteps approached he inspected the door frame. He could see the alarm system built into the door. It was fairly advanced, but nothing that he couldn't get past.

Alex took his lock picks out of his utility belt. They varied in size, and uses. He glanced at the almost invisible cords that ran along the sides of the door. He peeled away the casing on the wire and looked at the different cords.

"What's going on?" Calvin whispered.

"He's just disarming the alarm," Scott whispered, "Keep quiet."

Alex twisted the pick around the cords. He twisted it once and then smiled.

"The flow's cut off," he said, "It's just the lock now. Do you have experience with that Mimic? It's useful, believe me."

He tried to sound curious instead of judgmental, because he was genuinely curious.

"Yeah," Calvin said.

"Good, we might be able to streamline that part of the training," Alex said.

He put the lock picks back and selected the smallest one. He inserted it into the lock and got to work. The lock was complicated: he expected nothing less. He'd been picking locks since he was thirteen though. He wasn't going to let a lock stand between himself and Lorna.

The door swung open. He could feel Scott next to him, hear Calvin and Charles coming behind them.

"No one's in the lobby," Scott murmured.

"Yeah," Alex said.

"That's usually not good," Calvin said.

"Usually," Alex said, "But we're going in anyway."

Lorna needed them. He wasn't going to let something like a trap, or at least a rather uneasy set-up, stand in the way. He'd just blast through it. Alex had done it before.

From the way Scott was nodding he understood too.

"Got it," Scott said.

Alex could see that Calvin looked a little less certain, but he didn't say anything. It was good. He respected them enough to go forward. Although Alex would have preferred to give him some gradual build-up before a mission, he still had a good head on his shoulders.

They crept through the lobby. The light was on, so there weren't many shadows that they could hide in. Alex still felt nervous, but all he could think about was Lorna. Was she alright? He didn't know. Alex wouldn't put anything past her father.

"Where do you think she'd be?" Calvin asked.

"No clue," Alex said.

From above them they heard footsteps on the staircase. Alex flattened himself against the wall of the staircase, gesturing to Calvin to follow suit. Calvin moved Charles as far against the wall as possible. Alex looked up as Senyaka came down the stairs.

Alex glanced at Charles, who put two fingers to his temples. Senyaka stopped on the stairs, going stiff. From the way Charles's brow was furrowed he could tell that Charles was fighting Emma's mental wards. He seemed to be overcoming them though: he was stronger than Emma.

Alex was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard more footsteps.

"I don't see why she had to hit me so damn hard."

"Aw, calm down Lance. You know she just- Senyaka?"

There was a pause. He looked over at Charles, but he was still working on Senyaka.

"Follow me," Alex muttered.

Calvin looked at him with wide eyes, but there was no time for him to respond. Alex launched himself from the wall and shot a blast up at the staircase. Boom-Boom and Lance dived in opposite directions. His blast hit the wall, knocking a chunk of plaster off of it and filling the air with dust.

Lance got up and Scott sent a blast of his own. Boom-Boom quickly got up, small orbs of sparking energy in her hands. Alex jumped to the side as she threw them. He saw Senyaka collapse just as the orbs hit the floor, exploding and sending tile shards into the air.

Alex rolled and got up. Lance had gotten in front of him. He threw a punch, aiming for his jaw, but Alex blocked the punch. Alex brought his knee up with as much force as he could into Lance's stomach. He heard him cough and stumble back, just in time for Calvin to turn his fist to diamond and punch him.

Another volley of explosions forced him to move aside. Boom-Boom had improved from when he'd last seen her, and he knew that the noise would have alerted the rest of the Brotherhood to their presence. Scott had already fixed his gaze on her, and he managed to shoot a few beams off. She dodged them, sending out more explosions.

Alex hoped the other teams were having more luck.


	36. Chapter 36

May 4, 1975

Clarice teleported into the back room. Jean had psychically scanned the room first so they knew that it would be alright. She let go of Jean and the two of them crept into the room. Clarice couldn't believe that the Brotherhood would leave their base so lightly guarded, but she had always believed that the Brotherhood were less organized than the X-men.

There might have been an alarm system on the front door, but she was confident that Alex would handle that. Clarice could teleport past it, but Alex had always been adamant that she shouldn't teleport unnecessarily before a battle. As their only teleporter Alex had never wanted to exhaust herself, and she needed her crystals to teleport. It was rather limited.

She thought of the team going through the front. Clarice hoped Calvin was doing alright. This was his first mission as a member of the X-men, and he hadn't been trained like the rest of them. At least he was with Alex, Scott, and the Professor. He'd be alright. If bad came to worse he was an excellent long-distance runner.

She stopped when she saw a light from the adjoining room. Clarice and Jean stopped. Clarice looked around and sighed. It was the only other room that they could proceed through. She gave a worried look to Jean as shadows moved beneath the light.

"She had it coming."

Clarice recognized Mystique's voice. She supposed that they were talking about Lorna. She glanced over at Jean.

_Do you think they know where she is?_ Jean thought.

_You could try reading their minds,_ Clarice thought, _I'm not sure who the other person is though._

Clarice took one of her crystals out of the quiver she had on her back, just in case.

"You're quite heartless you know."

Emma Frost. Clarice winced. The mind reading scheme had just gone out the window.

_Don't worry. If we go in there, I can take her_, Jean thought.

_Can you?_ Clarice thought.

_Well, I'm more suited to take her on than you are_, Jean thought, _Take care of Mystique, and I'll stop Emma from telling the whole house._

_Alright_, Clarice thought.

_On my mark_, Jean thought, _Three...two...one!_

They rammed the door open. Emma turned and Jean immediately put her hands to her head. Emma turned to diamond and charged. They'd neutralized the threat of psychic warning now, and Clarice hoped that Jean would be able to move quickly enough to avoid being hit with several pounds of diamond.

Mystique had been moving for Jean too, but she stopped when she saw Clarice. Clarice got her crystal ready, and she was shocked to see the pure hatred that flared in Mystique's eyes. She couldn't think of a cause for it. Clarice had rarely fought Mystique. Azazel had always been her traditional enemy until Black Tom had killed him. It certainly saved Clarice several stab wounds.

Although she didn't understand it Clarice threw her crystal as Mystique charged her. Mystique avoided it and Clarice had to flip backwards to avoid her grasp. Even so Mystique's foot came up and clipped her under the chin. One of the spikes on her foot bit into her skin, drawing blood.

Clarice stumbled but reached for another crystal. She brought it around in time to block Mystique's fist. There was more force behind it than she had expected from a move that quick. She grabbed another crystal and twirled them to block Mystique's subsequent flurry of fists and feet.

She looked over at Jean. Emma punched her and she was sent sprawling. Jean was clutching her ribs and Clarice instantly knew that, in the very least, they had been bruised. She saw Emma bring back her diamond fist and Clarice threw one of her crystals at her.

She felt Mystique's fist connect with her stomach, but she saw Emma teleport next to Jean, looking confused. People were always rather confused when they were teleported without any warning. Jean was able to knock her off her feet even as Mystique knocked Clarice into the floor.

Winded Clarice rolled to avoid Mystique's foot again. She used her other crystal to teleport behind Mystique. She aimed for the back of Mystique's neck, but Mystique whipped around and caught her fist at the last moment.

Clarice pulled out another crystal out of her quiver. She teleported the two of them to the ceiling. Mystique blinked, but Clarice managed to maneuver herself to the top when they hit the floor, meaning that Mystique absorbed the impact. She followed it up with another punch before Mystique threw her off.

Clarice landed on her feet and pulled out two more crystals. She knew that she had two more left. She looked at Mystique. She wasn't sure it was enough. It would have to do though.

Mystique moved forward again and shoved Clarice back. An explosion rocked the ground floor and Clarice fell to the floor. She teleported herself to the other side of the room when Mystique lunged for her. Clarice kicked her back, sending her through the door and into the next room.

A crash from behind her made Clarice whip around. Jean had brought down Emma, but she didn't look too good. She'd been hit by Emma's diamond fists too many times. She was wincing from pain, and Clarice realized that her ribs weren't bruised. They were broken.

"Get back to the Blackbird," Clarice said.

"I'm fine," Jean said.

She walked forwards and stumbled. Clarice caught her.

"Marvel Girl, please be reasonable," Clarice said.

The floor shook with another explosion. What was going on?

"I can't-" Jean said.

"Mrs. Xavier only has limited medical experience," Clarice said, "Strategically, you need to stay awake and alive in case something happens. This is non-negotiable."

Jean gave her an anxious look.

"But..." Jean said.

"You need to take care of yourself," Clarice said.

She helped Jean stand on her feet by herself.

"It's going to be alright," she said, "I'll tell them where you are."

Jean sighed and nodded. Clarice activated her crystal and pressed it into Jean's hand. A minute later there was a flash of pink light and she was gone. Clarice breathed a sigh of relief as she felt hands go around her neck.

Clarice flipped her head back, making contact with Mystique's skull. She kicked around as fast as she could, sending Mystique back into the other room. Clarice followed her and saw the Alex's team struggling with a girl Clarice vaguely remembered as Boom-Boom. Lance was fighting with Calvin, who was mimicking Emma's diamond skin.

Mystique's fist scraped against her face and sent her to the floor. Clarice threw a crystal at Mystique, teleporting her to the other side of the room. She reached for another crystal, but there weren't any left. She swore as Mystique came for her.

Clarice scrambled to her feet and blocked the first punch Mystique threw, but she couldn't block her kick. Clarice collapsed to the floor, but her new vantage gave her a clear shot to Mystique's stomach.

She pushed herself up, putting all of her force behind her fist. She knocked Mystique to the ground and followed it up with a kick to her head. Clarice got up, panting, her sweat mingling with her blood. However, Mystique was out.

Looking around the room, she saw that Calvin was having trouble with Lance. He wasn't a bad fighter, but Lance had a lot more training. The fight was getting quickly out of control. The Professor looked over at them, but she knew he was struggling with Boom-Boom.

Clarice took a deep breath and ran at Lance. She tackled him and shoved him to the floor, grinding his face into the ground. With another slam she made sure that he was out, taking a deep breath through her nose.

"Hey."

She looked up. Calvin was holding a hand out to her, looking dazed. He had bruises all over his face, and it looked like Lance had managed to pummel him pretty bad. Clarice was impressed that she was still standing and was even offering her a hand.

She frowned at the gesture, but accepted it. He helped her up and she looked around. She was about to go back to the fight when she heard Calvin cough.

"You're really amazing," he said.

Clarice felt herself blush. He was giving her that strange smile again.

"Thanks," she said, feeling uncertain.

"I mean it," he said, "And thanks. I'm a little new to this."

"I saw that. But you're doing good," Clarice said, "We'll get some training in together later."

He grinned.

"I'd like that," he said.

"Me too," Clarice said.

She gestured to the Professor, who, from the way Boom-Boom was stumbling, had nearly overcome the blocks she supposed Emma had installed.

"Stay with the Professor," she said, "I'm going to go and see if I can help."

"Got it," Calvin said.

* * *

Entering through the roof was not particularly fun, but Warren was the very definition of aerial support. Ororo could fly too, so they had often gotten paired up for such missions and simulations. It was how they had gotten to know each other.

He slipped in through the top window, Ororo close behind him. He was glad she was with him. She was one of the only members of the X-men that he got along with all the time. There were still a lot of issues between him and Scott, ones he doubted he would ever work out.

The issues had only been started with what had happened with Jean, who was still awkward around him because he was awkward around Scott. He'd lost a friendship when things had gone downhill. Ororo had stood by him afterwards as he felt the humiliation and anger welling up inside of him.

He'd never really gotten along with Alex. Warren supposed that it had something to do with the fact that he was Scott's brother, but his demands with so little information to justify it irritated him. For instance, the mission they were on. He didn't want to be on it, and he knew Ororo didn't either. However, he was less against it than he had been at the start. Scott's screaming show had, beneath the noise, made sense.

Sean seemed a little too uncertain sometimes. He had the redeeming grace of not being as strict as Alex was, but once again there was the uncertainty. Clarice was always silent and he definitely didn't feel comfortable around Calvin. He wasn't even sure if Calvin counted as a member of the X-men.

However, he got on with Ororo. They fought well with each other. They even shared a lot of opinions. If he had to go through the Brotherhood's base to rescue someone, there was no one else he would prefer to be with.

They moved around the corner of the hall. Ororo grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. He opened his mouth, but she put a finger in front of her lips. He stopped and Ororo mouthed 'Riptide.'

He peeked around the wall and saw Riptide leaning against the wall. He glanced over at Ororo. She had much better eyes than he did. She cracked her neck and closed her eyes. When she opened them they were white.

Warren got out of her way as lightning crackled along her fingertips. She stepped around the hall and Riptide looked up. Ororo sent out a lightning bolt. He ducked. The lightning bolt missed him and singed the wall.

Ororo gathered up more sparks. Warren jumped over her as Riptide started to form a tornado in his hands. He flapped his wings a few times to give him the extra push and tackled Riptide before he could send out the tornado. It was rough and he hit his head on the wall, but he brought him down.

Riptide struggled to get up, but Ororo was at his side. She reached down and Warren leapt away. She sent the electricity through Riptide, making him spasm shortly before knocking him out. Ororo grinned and, after her eyes returned to normal, held out her hand for a high-five. He grinned and high-fived her.

More footsteps came down the hall. Warren whipped around and his heart sank. Magneto was standing there, looking furious. Warren glanced at Ororo. He knew her well enough to know that, when he spoke, he spoke for both of them.

"Shit."


	37. Chapter 37

May 4, 1975

Alex heard the crash. He looked up from where he was trying to dodge Boom-Boom's erratic blasts. Warren stumbled onto the top of the stairs, bleeding from his shoulder. He fell down and clipped his head on the top of the stairs. It was obvious he was out. He saw Ororo step back, looking panicked. Lightning was dancing around her fingers, but none of it was concentrated.

From the left he heard someone fall to the floor. He glanced over, still worried about what he couldn't see happening at the top of the stairs. There was too much going on, and he wished Jean was there. Clarice had told him what had happened to Jean, how she was back at the Blackbird. At least Emma, Lance, and Mystique were out.

An explosion from his right knocked him back. Boom-Boom narrowly managed to avoid the latest blast from Scott, before falling to the ground. He waved to Charles, who nodded.

He saw a door open and Angel walk through. She looked as though she'd been crying, and for a moment her tearstained eyes locked with his. Her mouth opened as she took in the scene. She was surprised. He wondered how loud she'd been crying not to hear the explosions.

Now he had to deal with her before he made it up the stairs. He moved forward, but someone knocked him down. He flipped over and saw Toad. Alex snarled at him. He didn't have time for Toad.

"You bastard," Toad said.

Alex didn't care enough to ask him what he was talking about. The stress and frustration of the moment was driving him out of his mind. He hadn't seen anything of Lorna, hadn't even made it past the first damn floor.

He just blasted Toad with as much light as he could. The only thing that stopped him from turning up the intensity was that he remembered Lorna telling him stories about Toad, about his friendship meaning so much to her. He didn't have much to ground him at the moment, but he didn't want to kill Lorna's friends if he could help it.

He ran past Toad on his way to the stairs. Scott peeled away from Calvin and Charles and headed up the stairs. Alex ran past where Angel had been. She was gone now. He didn't care. Angel wasn't really a threat as long as she stayed out of their way.

Alex reached the top of the stairs just as a metal chair crashed into Ororo. She was hurtled over the stair rail in Scott's direction. Scott leapt over and grabbed her hand before she fell. He struggled to get her back onto the stairs for a moment before she found her footing. Alex looked up, already knowing what he was going to see.

Magneto walked into the room. At once he looked at Alex. Alex forced himself to fight the urge to just launch himself at Magneto, scream at him and attempt to rip him apart. It would only get himself killed, and it wouldn't help Lorna.

"Erik!"

Alex and Magneto looked down. Charles was on the bottom floor with Calvin, looking up at them.

"Erik, listen to me," Charles said, "You can stop this. It doesn't have to be this way."

Magneto threw his head back and laughed.

"Charles, the time for talk is over," he said, "It was over when you let your star pupil steal my daughter."

"Nobody stole anybody!" Alex said.

Magneto glared at him, but Alex wasn't going to let that stand.

"She decided to stay because she wanted to, because she knows what you are," Alex said, "You might not believe her capable of making her own decisions, but she didn't fall in love with me because I forced her! And she's not staying because I forced her either!"

He knew that most of the members of the X-men were gawking at him. It wasn't the best way to tell them about his relationship with Lorna. He didn't care.

"The only one who stole anyone was you," Alex said, "You talk big, but you're only in favor of free will when it suits you!"

The metal chair that had knocked Ororo back flew out again. Alex dodged it and got up, his hands full of light.

"Erik, it doesn't have to be like this!" Charles called.

Magneto laughed again.

"It's too late for that," he said.

* * *

Lorna could hear the sounds outside her door. The X-men were there: she had no doubt about that. She wished she could get up, try to fight, but they had cuffed her after her last escape attempt. She wanted to fight, to protect both the man she loved and her father from each other, but she couldn't do anything.

Moira's words kept running around in her head. Alex was willing to die for her. It had shocked Lorna when she'd heard it, but she hadn't thought that it would really happen. Tears were welling in her eyes, her shield of anger cracking. She couldn't lose him, not after everything.

Lorna had known that, on some level or another, her decision was going to ruin her relationship with her father. She hadn't thought it would be to this extent though. Lorna hadn't expected him to drag her away, to have Emma invade her mind, to keep her prisoner. She didn't want him to die though, even after everything. He needed to live.

For the millionth time she tried to pull apart her plastic cuffs. Her wrists were chafed raw from her other attempts. Blood had started to bead from her skin, but there wasn't enough moisture to slip from the cuffs. Her feet were tied too: her father knew she was capable of fighting with her feet unbound so they had been cuffed too. He'd overseen her training after all.

The feet cuffs were aggravating her broken bones: they were too tight. Lorna hadn't told them about her injury, but she didn't think they'd go easier on it. Besides, it was only an annoyance. She cursed the injury for slowing her down. The cuffs made it feel as though it was breaking it all over again.

There was another explosion from the bottom floor. Lorna pulled herself forward on the bed. After she had been knocked out she had been put back, like a child who had stayed up past their bedtime and needed to be sent to their room. It made things even worse.

Lorna took a deep breath. It was time to do something. She pushed herself off the side of her bed, taking care to fall on the side without the injured foot.

It hurt anyway, but it allowed her to inch forward towards the door. Lorna wasn't sure how she was going to break it down this time. There was so much noise from outside the door and Lorna couldn't help. She pulled her arms up to her face and tried to work the lock with her teeth. It wasn't the best idea, but there was nothing else in the room she could pick it with.

There was a scrabbling outside the door. She paused and felt her heart in her throat. Alex? She listened closer. It sounded as though the latches were being pulled down. Her heart fell. Alex wouldn't bother with the latches. He probably would have just blasted the door open.

The door opened. Angel stood in the doorway, her eyes red rimmed from tears and looking shell-shocked. She knelt next to Lorna, her eyes wide.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Lorna swallowed and turned her head away. As if things couldn't get worse. Now she was going to have to figure out a way to knock out Angel. She wanted to apologize, say something to make what she had to do better. It hurt, almost worse than fighting her father. Angel hadn't been the one who had dragged her away from the life she had chosen.

"You're angry," Angel said, "And I'm not going to try to tell you that you shouldn't be. Because it was wrong what your father did to you. I'm so sorry."

Lorna looked up at her. She couldn't believe this was happening. Not after everything.

"He's doing this because he loves you, because he can't let you go," Angel said, wiping away tears, "And I understand that."

Her heart sank. She didn't understand. Angel closed her eyes for a moment.

"I never told you this. I never told anyone this," she said, "But...when your father was in the woods looking for you, your mother talked. And I..."

Lorna paused and pushed herself up.

"What?" she whispered.

"Your mother was dying," she said, "We all knew that. We just wanted to give you and her a moment. But she...she told me...she said that she loved you, that you were precious to her, and she kept asking if your father was coming back for you."

Lorna struggled not to break into tears.

"And I told her he was," Angel said, "And she asked me...asked me if you were going to be safe where we would take you. So I told her we'd protect you. That he would, that nothing would be able to stand against him."

Angel swallowed.

"And then...and then she asked if you would be happy."

Lorna pushed herself up fully. Angel closed her eyes.

"And I told her that you would be," she said.

Angel's eyes opened. Tears were streaming down her face, but her expression was determined. Lorna had never seen her looking more ferocious.

"I've tried to live up to that ever since I made that promise," Angel said, "And letting your father lock you away and have Emma erase your decision from your mind...well..."

She smiled softly.

"That's not keeping you happy, is it?"

Time slowed as Angel pulled a small key out of her pocket. Lorna watched as Angel unlocked the cuffs around her hands and ankles. Angel took them off and threw them to the other side of the room.

"I really hope you're happy where you're going," Angel sobbed.

For a moment Lorna stared at her. Then she threw her arms around Angel's shoulders, unable to keep the tears back any longer. Lorna felt Angel's hand digging into her back, her tears soaking her shoulder.

A thousand memories blossomed into her mind, starting with the day she'd first seen Angel at Fall River, giving her mother the change for the Hershey bar. Angel had braided her hair, helped pick out her clothes, read her bedtime stories alongside Azazel when her father was away.

"Come with me," Lorna managed, "You don't...you don't have to stay here-"

"I do though," Angel said, "I still believe in this."

"What if my father-?" Lorna started.

"He doesn't scare me right now," Angel said, "But...well, I'll think of something. Everyone knows what an escape artist you are. I can blame that."

She pulled away slightly and gave her a lopsided smile.

"And I hope Alex is good to you," she said, "Or I'll break his neck."

Lorna laughed.

"He loves me," she said.

"I know," Angel said, "And I know you think you're doing the right thing."

She took a deep breath.

"But your father will never understand," she said.

Lorna felt something crumple inside of her.

"I can try to make him," Lorna said, "He's my father. And I love him."

She hugged Angel again.

"I love you too," she said, "You helped raise me, you...I still care about you. I always will."

"And I'll always care about you," Angel said, "But it doesn't change anything."

She pulled away.

"Go on," Angel said.

Lorna let go and got to her feet. Her broken foot hurt, and she could feel every bruise flare up. Nonetheless she made her way towards the door, feeling herself straighten, her mind beginning to focus.

"And Lorna?"

She turned back. Angel was still sitting on the floor, her face streaked with tears.

"Take care of yourself," she said.

"You too Angel," Lorna whispered.

Feeling like she was ready to collapse Lorna turned back to the door. She had a job to do.

* * *

_**A/N: **Two more chapters left._


	38. Chapter 38

May 4, 1975

Alex slammed up against the wall. It hurt, but he knew better than to let the pain get to him. He ducked and, a second later, a metal table crashed into where he'd been.

He rolled and got to his feet. There was a lot of metal in the house. Even while he tried to dodge and fight he could see it wrapped in the lights, the doorframes, the stair railing. He wondered just how much metal furniture Magneto had brought in in case there was a fight. It made the alarm system look paltry in comparison.

In the background he could hear Charles still calling out to Magneto. Alex wanted to tell him not to waste his breath. He could see the look in Magneto's eyes: Alex knew he was going to try to kill him, and he wasn't going to let Charles stop him.

Beneath him a few members of the Brotherhood had gotten back up. Clarice was trying to make more crystals, probably to come to his aid. Once again, he wanted to tell her not to bother. He was the only target Magneto had eyes for, and he would just steamroll through anyone who tried to get in his way.

Alex shot off several more blasts, which Magneto dodged. He remembered the days when they had all been training at the Institute. He'd always thought that Magneto moved very fast, something that Alex knew he couldn't match, then or now.

He tried to look at the situation strategically. Magneto only had the advantage when Alex was far away, although he knew that he still packed one hell of a punch. Alex moved forwards and managed to kick him in the stomach. He punched upwards and saw Magneto's helmet rattle from the impact. An idea sprang into his head and he moved forwards again. For the first time in the fight he had a clear goal in mind.

A fist slammed into his jaw and he slid backwards. His jaw hurt, but he hadn't been pushed back too far. Alex kicked at Magneto again, hoping to get him to the ground. If he got him to the ground then he could take his helmet off and Charles could do the rest. Then he would be free to find Lorna.

From behind him he heard a scraping sound. Alex turned too late to see the metal table that had slammed into the wall fly forwards again. He tried to get to the floor, but a second later he felt the table hit him, hurling him to the ground. There was another scraping sound and he felt strips of metal wrap around his arms, forcing them behind his back. The metal began to twist tighter, making his bones creak.

"Havok!"

Despite the pain Alex looked up. His brother was trying to come up. Alex couldn't let him. Not with Magneto in the mood to murder anyone in his path.

"Cyclops stay back!" he yelled.

His brother paused, years of taking orders holding him back. Alex didn't know how long that would work though. Alex felt his metal bonds flip him over, pushing him to the ground. The force on his back and arms almost forced a cry from his lips. He wasn't going to give Magneto the satisfaction of hearing him scream though. He struggled against the magnetic pull, trying to get to his feet.

Magneto walked up, his face cold.

"I would stay down if I were you," he snarled.

The tone made Alex's blood boil. Magneto wasn't the injured party, and he had no right to act like he was. Lorna was the only one who could take that tone. Alex gathered up as much light in his hands as possible, burning the metal. He could feel the heat through his coat, burning his wrists.

He shoved himself to his feet, ignoring the pain in his hands.

"I'd rather die than fail her again," he said.

For a moment they stared at each other. Alex couldn't see any emotion in his eyes except anger and determination. He knew his own expression was likely to be the same. Neither of them were going to budge. The stakes were too high.

The metal objects in the room started to shake. Alex looked around them, judging their flight pattern. He'd be able to get out of the way of most of him. He'd just increase the heat of his mutation for the rest and burn them into nothing.

"If that's your wish-" Magneto started.

The metal ripped out of the wall. Alex wrapped himself in his powers, but none of the objects came for him. Alex frowned through the red light of his mutation. He could see that Magneto was looking around the room with a puzzled look in his eyes.

The red light drained away from him. He stared past Magneto even as his opponent turned. He didn't matter anymore. Lorna was at the other end of the hall, her eyes glowing green and her hands clenched into fists.

"Stop. This. Now!" she hissed.

* * *

Lorna saw Alex stare at her with wide, helpless eyes. He looked as though he'd been through the wringer, but she could see the honest worry for her on his face. She wanted to go to him, caress his face and tell him that she was alright.

Instead she had other things to do. Lorna looked at her father. His eyes were full of cold fury. She wondered vaguely if he was going to tell her to go to her room. Lorna almost wanted to laugh, but she knew that it would only come out as a hysterical scream.

She could feel her own anger rising up, the urge to scream and let the metal she was precariously holding back fly. Instead she let some of her anger go. For the first time in hours she didn't need it.

"Father, it's over," she said.

"No it's not," he said.

She breathed in and out, trying to remind herself that she had to do so. The whole room had gone strangely quiet. She wondered if everyone, X-men and Brotherhood alike, were watching them.

They were all involved now.

"Father, I've made my choice," she said, "You're not going to convince me otherwise."

"Listen to me Lorna," her father said.

He pointed at Alex.

"You would betray us all for him? For a love tricked from you for vengeance?" he asked.

Alex opened his mouth but Lorna shook her head. This was between her and her father.

"Father, that's not what happened," she said, "And I think that, if you really think, you'll find you know that."

"You can't think-"

"Will you please just listen!" Lorna screamed.

The room became silent again, her father still staring at her. He looked shocked and uncertain. Lorna breathed in and walked forwards. Her foot was screaming and she could feel the bruises on her arms, but she had to move fast.

She let the metal drop as she stood in front of her father. The green film that had fallen over her eyes seemed to lessen. Lorna hoped he wouldn't try to use the lull to attack Alex. She'd had faith in him before, and it had been betrayed. It seemed silly to continue to hold onto that faith.

It was all she had though, the only thing that made her childhood seem less of a lie.

"I am leaving the Brotherhood because I want to," Lorna said, "Not because of Alex, not because they forced me, and most of all, not to hurt you or the rest of my family."

She reached out and took his hand. To her surprise and relief he let her do it, although his hand seemed limp in hers.

"I'm doing it because I honestly believe that the X-men are actually making a difference for our kind," she said, "All we're doing is making them fear and hate us."

"How can you say that?" her father said, "After everything you've seen, after fighting in this war, how can you say that?"

"Father, we're not in a war against humans," Lorna said, "Not yet. It does seem inevitable, but it's not here yet. And as long as it's not here...there's a chance we can stop it."

Her father's eyes hardened and Lorna tensed.

"How can you say that after they murdered your mother?" he said, "Burned everything down in an attempt to murder a child just because she dared to try to save herself and her mother? How?"

His words hurt and Lorna struggled for an answer.

"I'm not really sure," Lorna said, "except that I know that they're not all like that. It's taken me a long time to figure that out, but it's true. Most people...they just need someone to help point them in the right direction, guide them-"

Her father laughed.

"Maybe you really have been talking to Charles," he said.

"I haven't," Lorna said.

"Then Alex has become a much better parrot over the years," her father said

Lorna sighed and fought to remain calm. She needed to be calm, needed to make him see. Somehow it felt like this was her last chance.

"I figured that out by myself," she said, "Father, I didn't know what the Brotherhood really was. And I understand why you kept all of that from me-"

"Stop pretending that you understand," he snapped.

She looked up at him.

"Stop pretending that you don't," Lorna said.

He glared at her, his breath coming out in harsh pants.

"Lorna, you know better than this!" he shouted.

"Father-"

"You act as though the world is an innocent place that can be won over with syrupy dreams and innocence," her father snapped, "If you were a child I could understand, but you're not. You're a full grown woman who knows how cruel the world really is, what it will do to our people if it has the chance!"

She saw a metal table in the corner of the room begin to twist.

"And you're just rolling over, giving up and giving them a chance to destroy us all!" he shouted, "There are people out there who will torture and dissect and manipulate us just because they can!"

"And that's why I'm going to protect us!" Lorna said.

She could hear the metal screeching around her. Lorna fought to keep herself under control, someone had to, but she knew that she was losing.

"I'm never going to stop fighting for our kind!" Lorna said, "Never!"

"Then why are you leaving?" he said.

"Because I can't be like you!" Lorna screamed.

The metal railing screamed and twisted. She saw the metal chandelier and light fixtures rattle.

"I can't follow you anymore, not now that I know what I know!" Lorna said, "I'm never going to lead the Brotherhood because I don't believe in it, because I don't want to be part of it!"

She took a deep breath.

"For the last time," she screamed, "I'm not Magnetrix anymore!"

Her father stared at her, his face changing. The rattling stopped. Lorna knew she was finally making headway as his rage slipped off to reveal hurt, overcome by deep betrayal.

"You're still my father-" she whispered.

His hands shot out and grabbed her shoulders. Lorna was lifted off her feet as her father glared at her. She felt the air get sucked out of her lungs. Alex moved forward and she saw a metal chandelier knock him back. Her eyes widened and she reached out for the metal, stopping him from going over the edge.

She saw the metal begin to push back. Although her father's eyes weren't even looking at Alex, she knew he was causing it. The green film dropped over her eyes again. She felt like she was pushing up against a brick wall. Lorna had never done this against her father before.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Alex get up. She sighed inwardly: she didn't know if she would be able to do that again for very long. Lorna released her hold on the chandelier and the green film disappeared. It gave her a clearer view of her father.

She had never seen the kind of rage on his face that she saw then, the pure fury. He looked as though he would rip her apart. Lorna understood then, in a way that she had never understood before, why Alex thought her father was a monster. For the first time in her life she was seeing Magneto.

Yet, she could see something else there. Lorna could see the pain, the deep-seeded hurt that she herself had felt when she'd made her decision. Lorna saw her father staring out at her through Magneto's eyes, the man who had carried her out of the woods, sung to her when she'd had nightmares, taught her to control her mutations. He was her father, and she loved him.

The noise dropped out. She forgot about the fight, forgot about everything. Her father was angry and in pain, and she couldn't fear that. She gently raised her hands and put them on his arms.

"Father, please," she said.

Her father stared at her, and all the rage disappeared.

"Let me go," she whispered.

For a minute more they stared at each other. They were the only biological family that they had. They had found each other late, but that didn't mean anything. Lorna wondered what he was seeing when he saw her. Was he seeing her mother? Was he seeing her as a child? Was he seeing everything that they had been through with each other?

Suddenly he dropped her. Lorna fell to the floor, using her hands to block the brunt of her fall. She looked back up at her father. His face was frigid and immobile.

"Stop," he said.

For the first time some of the noise began filtering in. Alex was getting to his feet and the rest of the X-men were still fighting. Yet, she was still looking at her father.

"Stop!" her father shouted.

The noise of the fight dropped out.

"We're leaving," Magneto said, "We're all leaving right now."

He turned his head towards Alex.

"Take your people away," he said, "And take that-"

He pointed to Lorna.

"-with you," he said.

Lorna took a deep breath, trying to block the hurt that she felt. It was only fair. She had made the decision.

"Father-"

"I don't have a daughter," he snapped.

Lorna watched as he turned away from her and began walking down the hall. It felt like her heart was cracking into pieces, but it wasn't over. She wouldn't let it end like that.

She got laboriously up. Her broken foot felt like it was on fire. Lorna tilted her head up, keeping in the tears and heartache. Like everything she had done since she had made her decision: she had to be on her own two feet.

"It doesn't work like that," she said.

Her father stopped and looked slightly over his shoulder.

"For better or for worse, I will always be your daughter," Lorna said.

Her father turned away and walked down the hall. She remained standing as the members of the Brotherhood filtered past. Emma just looked over at her before she walked away. Senyaka didn't look and Mystique gave her a filthy, but also triumphant, glare. Lance sneered at her and Tabby and Toad gave her looks of bewilderment. She supposed Janos was further inside. He probably would have glared as well.

No one stopped or tried to talk to her. Lorna could feel the hurt intensifying inside of her, solidifying. She had trained some of the people who walked past her like she was nothing, and she had grown up with the rest of them. Lorna wanted to cry, but it had been her choice.

When the last of them were gone Lorna was left standing. Their footsteps echoed away. The next time she saw them they would be fighting, and the thought would have broken something inside her if there was anything left to break. Everything was painful, and it felt like she had been sent out to sea in the middle of a storm.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Lorna turned around and saw Alex looking at her, his face worried.

"Lorna," he said.

Lorna sucked in a sob and threw her arms around Alex's shoulders. He pulled her to him just as her knees gave way from the weak support of her feet. He lowered her to the floor, still holding her close as she grabbed fistfuls of his coat. She tucked her head beneath his chin and cried, letting out all the tears she had held inside since everything had begun.

"It's alright," Alex whispered, "I'm here. I'm always going to be here."

"I know," Lorna managed, "I know."


	39. Chapter 39

December 20, 1975

Lorna looked out the window. It had started snowing. She smiled. The idea that it would be cold didn't bother her. She had chosen a dress with sleeves that went down to her wrists for a reason. It was the fashion now, but she had known that there was a high chance of it snowing in the middle of December.

The music started and Lorna stepped out of the Institute. She watched as every face turned towards her, but she kept her eyes to the end of the aisle where Alex, her soon-to-be-husband, waited for her.

Her hands felt cold as they held the bouquet of white flowers that Moira had collected for her. It had a few sprigs of forsythia in it. She had almost cried when she'd picked out the flowers in the store. It felt as though her mother was with her.

They were all delicate blossoms, but she knew that they would be able to survive the cold for a few minutes. She had asked for a simple ceremony after all, and that meant it would be quick.

Lorna walked alone. She had thought that it would hurt less that her father wasn't walking her down the aisle. There was still pain though, pain that he wouldn't be with her on her wedding day. She tucked it away. It was still her wedding day, and she was still going to be happy.

Her new life seemed to stretch out before her on either side of the aisle with Alex at the end. She walked past Moira and Charles. David sat next to his mother and Kurt sat in her lap. Both were securely bundled up. Lorna would never forget how it felt to see Kurt for the first time. Moira had wordlessly shown him to her, a perfect mixture of the woman who had hated her and the man who had helped raise her.

She hadn't said anything about it though. What good would it do? She wasn't going to get the answers she wanted from Azazel from his son. He was Moira and Charles's son now, and she had to think of him like that.

The rest of the X-men sat with them. She had been with them for a few months training, but she hadn't gone into the field yet. She hadn't even decided on a codename yet. Even so, the team's hostility had lessened. It was making things easier.

Annie sat further down. She had gotten along well with Annie for several months, as soon as she had started listening to her doctor's instructions. She had asked her to be part of the wedding party, but Annie had politely declined. Someone had to watch Terry, as well as Sharon, Hank's daughter.

Hank was a groomsman, along with Sean and Scott. Lorna had felt nervous when she had met Hank and officially met Sean, but Alex had smoothed out the meeting. Hank and Sean seemed to be open to her, and she was grateful. It meant more than she could say to be welcomed.

Carly stood as her matron of honor on the other side in a blue gown. She had instantly become friends with Lorna, even if she'd seemed a little wary of her at first. Lorna could hardly blame her for that. She was the only member of her wedding party: everyone had to watch children and she still had few friends.

As she reached the altar Alex held his hand out. She grasped his hand and handed her bouquet to Carly. Alex smiled and pulled her veil away from her face. His hands engulfed hers, their warmth banishing the cold.

"Dearly beloved," the reverend said, "We are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of this man and this woman."

* * *

Alex felt his breath freeze in his lungs, not because of the cold, but because of the woman in front of him. She was a vision in white, her green hair curling around her shoulders, her veil looking like the strands had frosted over. It took everything in him not to kiss her before the end of the ceremony.

"Marriage is a most honorable estate," the reverend said, "created and instituted by God, signifying unto us the mystical union, which also exists between Christ and the Church; so too may this marriage be adorned by true and abiding love."

Alex rubbed her hands and she smiled at him.

"Alexander and Lorna, as you dedicate yourselves to one another," the reverend said, "we are mindful of the presence of God around us."

Alex cleared his throat, suddenly feeling nervous. He still couldn't believe this was happening.

"Lorna," he said, "A year ago I would have never believed that this could happen. But...now that it is..."

He laughed, feeling the words get stuck in his throat.

"I used to believe that you could only get one miracle in your life," he said, "And I thought that I'd had mine when I found my brother. But now...now I think that sometimes you can get two."

He gripped her hands tighter with one of his hands. He let go with his other hand and took the ring from Scott. Still gripping her hand he slipped the ring on her finger.

"I will never leave you," he said, "Never. Because I never want to be anywhere else but with you."

Lorna smiled. He could see the tears in her eyes.

"Alex, you've changed my life," she said, "We've been through a lot together, but I wouldn't change any of it. Thank you for helping me through the most difficult time in my life, for understanding me when no one else did."

It still ached to remember how she had been after she had come back to the Institute. She had stayed focused during the day but had nightmares at night. Alex had held her, talked to her, tried to make her feel welcome in her new home. Although he had no love for her family, he knew that she had made a difficult decision.

"You told me once that no matter what I was feeling, I still knew who I was. I just needed to find my way," Lorna said, "Thank you for standing by me when I did that. And now I get to be with you forever."

She smiled a few tears trickling down her cheeks. She wiggled her fingers from beneath his and took his ring from Carly. The metal was cold as she slipped it onto his finger, but he had never felt better.

"I can think of no better way to spend my life," she said.

Alex knew he was grinning like a fool, but he couldn't help it.

"For as much as Alexander and Lorna have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and these witnesses, and thereto have pledged their faithfulness each to the other, and have pledged the same by the giving and receiving each of a ring," the reverend said, "by the authority invested in me as a minister of the gospel according to the laws of the state of New York, I pronounce that they are husband and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. You may now kiss the bride."

Alex moved forwards and gathered Lorna in his arms. He had a moment of feeling her arms around his neck before he kissed her. The crowd burst out into applause, and he smiled against her lips.

* * *

"You came too."

Erik glanced over his shoulder at Angel. She seemed to be swallowed in the coat that she was wearing. It was like she was trying to hide beneath the folds of the fabric.

He shrugged in his own coat and turned away from her. Below he could see Lorna leave the small altar, her hand tucked firmly into Alex's. He'd watched with pain as she'd walked down the aisle alone, felt a deep ache in his heart when she'd consented to be the wife of one of his greatest enemies.

"I think she's happy," Angel murmured, "That's important."

He didn't bother to look at her. He wondered if she knew that he knew she'd let Lorna out. Angel was the only candidate when it came down to it. He supposed that it didn't matter anymore. Erik knew his daughter. One way or another, she would have found a way out.

Erik was still angry at her though. He would probably be so for the rest of his life. He'd just find more subtle ways to punish her.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Angel asked.

Erik took a deep breath.

"Angel, today my daughter has officially bound herself to Alex. She's his wife now," he said, "She has not only left my side but taken on a new name. From what I understand this day is normally difficult for parents."

He clenched his hand into a fist.

"But today she's also tied herself even tighter to the X-men, the people I fight," Erik said, "She has already rejected us, but now she's rejected any chance of a future with us. And because of that I'm standing up here, watching from a distance, instead of walking her down the aisle, instead of being with her today."

He glanced at Angel.

"I am feeling many, many things right now," he said, "But I'm not going to put them into words for anyone, least of all you."

Erik turned away from Angel. He stared at Lorna until she disappeared into the Institute with Alex, the rest of the wedding party following them for what he supposed would be the reception. Amidst the throngs he could barely make out Charles. He gritted his teeth. How come Charles was able to attend his daughter's wedding and not him?

"If you'd come, she would have welcomed you," Angel said.

"If that's true, then why didn't you go?" Erik snapped.

Angel looked down.

"A little bit of shame I suppose," she said, "Shame that I didn't see what she was going through sooner, didn't try to help."

Erik snarled and turned away.

"It doesn't matter," he said, "She's not my daughter anymore."

"That's not true," Angel said.

He glared at her. Although she faltered she still spoke.

"You're her father," she said.

Erik shook his head and cast one last look at the Institute where his daughter was celebrating her wedding. He turned away and stormed off. At least Angel was right about one thing: Lorna had looked happy.

It was a bitter comfort.

* * *

Lorna walked out onto the library's verandah as the snow continued to fall. It was loud in the ballroom, but it was quiet in the library. She needed a moment for everything to be quiet, now that she could afford to let it do so.

She had tried to avoid being alone for months now. Lorna knew that no good could come of her having nothing else to do, having an opportunity to think about what she had left behind. It hurt, and she imagined it would hurt for the rest of her life.

However, she had been given a new family. They would never replace her old one, but this family had needed her attention. She had tried to throw herself into her new life, show herself that she could move on. Although she felt the absence of almost everyone she had ever loved pained her keenly, she had rebuilt. She had been taught never to wallow in self-pity.

Lorna looked out at the snowy woods around the Institute, blanketed beneath the starry sky. She could still remember burning the purple and red coat that had marked her as a member of the Brotherhood. Lorna had sat and watched the ashes from that fire blow into the night sky until they'd become one with the stars.

For so long she'd thought that the coat she'd worn had represented her true colors: the colors of her father and his cause. Now, looking out over the snowy fields, white swirled with green, she saw that there were other colors that meant more to her now. She was no longer a member of the Brotherhood: she was an X-man now.

"Lorna?"

She looked behind her. Alex was standing in the doorway. His tie had come undone at sometime during the night and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone too. He'd probably done it himself during the dancing. Lorna knew how much he hated formal wear.

He walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

Lorna smiled.

"Yes," she said.

She looked up at the stars. One showed brighter than the rest and she smiled.

"I was just thinking," she said.

"What about?" he asked.

Lorna leaned back further into his embrace. He was always so warm.

"You know there's a star in the sky, brighter than the rest, that used to guide people as they travelled?" she said.

"Yeah," he said, "The North Star."

He pointed.

"That one, right?" he asked.

"Right," Lorna said, "It's also the magnetic north you know."

"Interesting. But what about it?" Alex asked.

Lorna's smile widened.

"I was just thinking," she said, "When I officially join the X-men, I know what my codename will be."

"Really?" he asked, "What?"

She turned back and wrapped her hand around his, pulling it closer to them so both his hands were once again wrapped around her.

"There's another name for the North Star you know," she said.

Alex leaned closer so that his lips brushed up against her ear.

"Which is?" he asked.

She closed her eyes.

"Polaris."

* * *

_**A/N:** Usually this is where I'd make the joke about my long author's note, but I think that I've exhausted that over the past few fics. This one I'm going to try and keep short. This fic has been quite the ride. It's actually extended out for more chapter than I thought it would, but I believe that it's actually one of my favorites. _

_Alex/Lorna have been one of my favorite pairings for a long time. I'd considered writing a story with Lorna being raised by her father as part of the Brotherhood for a while, and I decided to include it in this particular series. I usually have most of my stories in a series vaguely plotted out in my head before I start writing, but this one was almost completely plotted out by the time I started writing it._

_I've often said that Magneto wasn't such a bad father, as villain fathers go, and he seems to really love his children and grandchildren in the comics. However, even when Lorna was taken in by Magneto in 'House of M' and 'Wolverine and the X-men,' she gravitated towards doing the right thing, even when she was at odds with her family. Her loyalties have always been shown to be strong, but her convictions stronger. It makes her a perfect match for Alex's hard-headedness. _

_As for the next story in the series, it's the second to last story and it's going to be called 'Blood Brothers.' The story will focus around David and Kurt as they grow up in the Institute. Look for it in two weeks._

_Now, shoutouts! I'd love to thank the ever faithful Princess-Amon-Rae, whylime, Fanatic4Fiction, and Knight of Wings! Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed but doesn't have messaging enabled!_


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